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July 24, 2021
According to scientists, the main source of short-period comets is the Kuiper belt. The Oort Cloud is the supplier of almost all long-period comets entering the inner solar system. In extremely rare cases, interstellar objects can be captured while passing near the solar system and transferred by the gravity of the Sun into a heliocentric orbit, even becoming a short-period comet. Comet 96P / Machholz (96P / Machholz) is an example of such an object.
The comet was discovered by American amateur astronomer Donald McHoltz on May 12, 1986 at the peak of Loma Prieta in California. The comet has a fairly short orbital period around the Sun - 5.3 years. The comet is unique in several orbital characteristics: a highly elongated orbit (e = 0.959), an unusually high inclination to the ecliptic plane - 58 ° and an extremely low perihelion value - 0.123 AU. e. Not a single short-period comet has come so close to the Sun.
The comet has a very unusual chemical composition. Spectroscopic studies have shown that the content of cyanogen (C₂N₂) in its composition is 72 times less than in ordinary comets. All these data suggest that the comet flew into the solar system from interstellar space.
Source: Moscow Planetarium.
Related links:
ROSCOSMOS Press Release: https://www.roscosmos.ru/31970/
Moscow Planetarium: https://www.roscosmos.ru/tag/moskovskiy-planetariy/
Comet: https://www.roscosmos.ru/tag/kometa/
Images, Text, Credits: ROSCOSMOS/Moscow Planetarium/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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