Aster › Space program › 2I/Borisov
2I/Borisov
Position on the route: 105/181 · level needed 490 · journey (Mk0 engine) 64.8 h
By the numbers
| Nucleus | ≈ 0.4–1 km |
|---|---|
| Speed | ≈ 32 km/s |
| Found | 30 August 2019 |
| Perihelion | 8 December 2019, 2 AU |
The story
Borisov is the first interstellar comet, found on 30 August 2019 by the amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov in Crimea with a 0.65 m telescope he built himself. Hubble followed it as it left.
Its makeup resembles our comets but with unusual amounts of carbon monoxide: it formed in a very cold region around another star. Its nucleus lost some fragments in 2020, which is still debated.
Missions
- Hubble, VLT, Gemini: observations (no mission)
Colony note
A passing visitor; a distant outpost for ice.
What probes bring back
- Amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov found it on 30 August 2019 in Crimea with a telescope he built himself: the first interstellar comet (2I). Its speed is about 32 km/s.
- Its makeup resembles our comets but it is unusually rich in carbon monoxide: it formed in a very cold region around another star. Perihelion was 8 December 2019 at 2 AU from the Sun.