Mega-comet approaches solar system

Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is one of the largest comets ever seen, measuring a colossal 150km wide. The newly discovered comet is set to fly through our inner solar system in 10 years


Artist’s impression of comet

Comet will swoop between orbits of Saturn and Uranus

Saturn
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Uranus
Neptune

2036
2031
2026 
2021
Path of comet

Closest Earth approach 10.9 AU*


Comet Bernardinelli- Bernstein 
150km wide 
Orbits sun every 600,000 years

Manhattan to scale

Hale-Bopp
60km wide

Halley’s Comet
11km wide

Comet arrives just as Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile (above) readies to begin operating. It will monitor comet for at least next decade


*Astronomical Unit: Distance from Earth to Sun (≈150 million km)


Sources: National Geographic, Forbes. 
Pictures: Dark Energy Survey, NOIRLab, Rubin Observatory  
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