For the first time, scientists found a comet near a population of asteroids orbiting the Sun next to Jupiter.
Why does it matter: It is possible that scientists have found a “pit stop” that other comets can make on their way to the inner solar system from further afield, according to NASA.
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The big picture: The comet – called P / 2019 LD2 – was discovered not far from an asteroid population near Jupiter known as Trojans, the new study detailing the discovery in the Astronomical Journal it says.
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The comet may have originally been expelled from the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune before orbiting the Sun near the outer gas planets.
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About two years ago, the comet flew close to Jupiter, which appears to have pushed the object towards the Trojans, where it was found today.
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“The cool thing is that you are actually catching Jupiter by throwing this object around and changing its orbital behavior and bringing it into the internal system,” said Carey Lisse, one of the study’s authors in a statement. “Jupiter controls what is happening to comets, once they enter the internal system, changing their orbits.”
What is the next: Scientists believe the comet is likely to leave Jupiter behind in about two years, according to computer simulations.
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The comet is expected to interact with Jupiter again and then continue towards the inner solar system.
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“Simulations show that in about 500,000 years, there is a 90% probability that this object will be ejected from the solar system and become an interstellar comet,” said Lisse.
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