Comet K2, discovered in 2017 by NASA, will pass very close to Earth this Thursday (14), according to Marcelo Schappo, PhD in Physics and professor at the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina.
It is estimated that the size of K2 is 18 kilometers at its core, while its tail has a diameter of 130 thousand kilometers, equivalent to the planet Jupiter. In relation to the total extension, 800 thousand kilometers were counted, similar to the distance between the Earth and the Moon in three times.
What drew attention in the case of K2 is that at the time it was discovered, it was considered the farthest active comet from the Sun.
Gravitational disturbances in the comet’s cloud may have caused it to deviate from its trajectory and approach Earth.
Most comets come from what we call the “Oort Cloud”, the last layer of the Solar System made up of billions to trillions of celestial bodies that orbit around the Sun.
By some gravitational change, this cloud can cause the displacement of these comets and asteroids to the central part of the solar system, which brings them closer to planets, such as Earth.
How far will it be from Earth?
It is estimated that it will reach about 270 million kilometers away from Earth, with no risk of collision with our planet. Because the distances are huge, it must have taken K2 about millions of years to get this close to our Solar System.
The forecast for the next passage of K2 should be on December 19. His return would only be thousands of years from now, but Marcelo says he will only be sure of that from his exit trajectory.
*under supervision of Giulia Alecrim
Source: CNN Brasil
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