A team of astronomers led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has discovered seven more “dark comets”, doubling the known number, according to Davide Farnocchia. These unusual objects are similar to asteroids but behave like comets.
The discovery was made after analyzing the trajectory of an asteroid in 2016, which showed signs of a comet’s tail, despite lacking visible signs of a comet’s surface. This sparked further research, including the study of interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua, found in 2017.
Researchers have categorized the dark comets into two types: large “outer dark comets” with eccentric orbits, and smaller “inner dark comets” that share space with Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. While their origins remain a mystery, scientists believe they could be a source of materials necessary for life’s development.
The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds new light on these enigmatic objects, leaving many questions unanswered.
Source: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/dark-comets