Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet

2022 APR 18

Preliminary > Science and Technology > Space technology > Cosmology

Why in news?

The NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed that the huge Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet is indeed the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers

About Comets:

Comets are cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust that orbit the Sun.

A comet when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail.

These phenomena are due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind acting upon the nucleus of the comet.

What is Bernardinelli-Bernstein?

It is the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers. It is also called the C/2014 UN271.
It was discovered in 2010 and has been intensively studied since then.
The comet has been travelling towards the sun for over a million years, and it is believed to have originated in the Oort Cloud.

Add ons:

Oort Cloud is a distant region of the solar system that is predicted to be the source of most comets. However, the Oort Cloud is still only a theoretical concept.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

The term ‘Bernardinelli-Bernstein’, recently discussed in news, is associated with:

(a) Block chain technology

(b) Space exploration

(d) Climate Change

Answer

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