Nasa reveals image of ‘most distance comet ever found’

A STUNNING image of a faraway comet has been revealed by two Nasa astronomers.

On Thursday, Nasa scientists Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell shared as their “image of the day” a striking visual of a comet.

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The space object, dubbed C/2017 K2, was photographed on June 20, 2022, by amateur astronomer Jose J. Chambo.

In the wide-field telescopic image, the comet shines brightly among open star cluster IC 4665 and the star Beta Ophiuchi.

Also clearly visible is the comet’s extended coma and developing tail.

Astronomers initially discovered this comet over five years ago, in May 2017.

C/2017 K2 is heading towards our inner Solar System after leaving the distant Oort cloud.

At that time, it was the most distant active inbound comet ever found, per the Nasa officials.

The comet has a large nucleus, less than 18 kilometers in diameter, according to Hubble Space Telescope observations.

It is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on July 14, and its closest approach to the Sun this December.

What is a comet?

Comets are “cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust”, according to Nasa.

They’re made of leftovers from the formation of the solar system.

When a comet approaches the Sun, it forms a “tail” made of gas and dust particles that face away from the large star.

There are currently 3,743 known comets in our solar system.

One of the most famous comets is Swift–Tuttle – officially designated 109P/Swift–Tuttle – which orbits our sun every 133 years.

Swift-Tuttle was discovered in 1862 and is estimated to have a nucleus of about 16 miles across – twice the size of the Chicxulub impactor, which was the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs.