A recent discovery has doubled the number of known dark comets, revealing two distinct types: larger ones in the outer solar system and smaller ones in the inner solar system. The findings raise new questions about their origins and potential role in delivering life-sustaining materials to Earth.
Researchers identified seven additional dark comets, bringing the total to 14, after analyzing their orbits and characteristics. These objects were previously known as “dark asteroids” due to their unusual behavior, which is similar to that of comets but appears as an asteroid-like object.
The study’s authors found that the dark comets can be divided into two groups based on their size and orbit patterns. The outer dark comets have highly eccentric orbits and are larger in size, while the inner dark comets have nearly circular orbits and are smaller.
The discovery of these two types of dark comets has sparked new questions about their origins and potential impact on Earth’s development. Scientists believe that dark comets could be a source of life-sustaining materials, such as water ice, which were necessary for the origin of life.
“This discovery is significant because it expands our knowledge of dark comets and raises more questions than answers,” said Darryl Seligman, lead author of the study. “We need to continue studying these objects to understand their role in our planet’s origin.”
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on December 9, 2024.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/cosmic-chameleons-mysterious-dark-comets-may-hold-clues-to-lifes-origins-on-earth