NASA’s observatory tracked water loss from an interstellar comet named 2I/Borisov which made its first and only trip through the solar system. It is NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, developed to study gamma-rays burst(the most luminous explosions in the universe) which scientists think are the birth cries of black holes, tracked the release of water from Borisov.
How it happens
Comets are frozen clumps of gases mixed with dust often called ‘dirty snowballs’. As a comet approaches the sun frozen materials on its surface such as carbon dioxide warm and begins converting to gas. When it gets more close to the sun, water vaporizes.
When sunlight breaks apart water molecule one of the fragment is hydroxyl(a molecule composed of one hydrogen and one oxygen atom). By detecting the fingerprints of U. V lights emitted by hydroxyl using Ultraviolet /Optical Telescope (UVOT) we can confirm the presence of water.
Borisov, as we know
2I/Borisov got his name from ‘Gennady Borisov‘ who discovered the comet first. Based on Borisov’s speed and computed path scientists have confirmed that Borisov is the second known interstellar visitor zipped through our solar system after ‘Oumuamua‘
A graduate student at the University of Hong Kong and Auburn University named Zeni Xing and his team confirmed the presence of water from the comet and measured its fluctuation using U. V. O. T. Observing Borisov with swift Xing’s team stated that during its trip through the solar system Borisov lost nearly 61 million gallons(230 million. litres) and at peak activity eight gallons per second(30 litres per second) of water.
Further studies also stated that Borisov doesn’t fit really into any class of solar system comets but it also doesn’t stand out exceptionally. Moving with a speed of 100,000 miles (161,000) kilometres per hour and size with just under half a mile(0.74 km) across. Borisov produced the highest level of carbon monoxide ever seen from a comet at that distance from the sun. 55% of Borisov’s surface was actively shedding materials near the sun. These factors make Borisov differ from our solar system comets. Meanwhile, some common traits showed by Borisov are the production of water as it approaches the sun and presence of similar molecules like hydroxyl, cyanogen etc.
What are the importance of such tears?
Through studies based on the production of water using UVOT, we can understand more of planetary science when it was built. Also for comets, we express the amount of other detected molecules as a ratio to the amount of water. It also helps us to understand the mass, size and many other aspects.
Finally to dear Borisov and company we can say that ‘your tears bring joy to us’
-Aashiq Alex
Credits- NASA
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