A newly discovered comet, designated C/2023 P1 and named Comet Nishimura after its discoverer, Japanese astronomer Hideo Nishimura, is approaching Earth from beyond our solar system. Expected to brighten dramatically before departing forever, this icy object will perform a gravitational slingshot around the sun, likely originating from outside our solar system. This unique event, resembling a star’s brilliance, is set to occur due to the comet’s hyperbolic orbit, propelling it back into interstellar space after its closest approach to Earth on September 13.
Facts/Terms for UPSC Prelims
- Hyperbolic Orbit: A trajectory in which an object passes around a massive body (like the sun) at a speed that allows it to escape the body’s gravitational influence. Comet Nishimura’s hyperbolic orbit indicates it won’t return to the solar system after departing.
- Interstellar Object: A celestial body originating outside our solar system. Comet Nishimura is the third known interstellar object detected, following ‘Oumuamua’ and Comet 2I/Borisov.
- Oort Cloud: A region beyond Neptune’s orbit containing a reservoir of comets and icy objects. Comet Nishimura’s origin might be in the outer Oort Cloud, where it was captured by the sun’s gravity after millennia of floating at the solar system’s edge.
- Apparent Magnitude: A measure of an object’s brightness as seen from Earth. Comet Nishimura is expected to have an apparent magnitude between 5 and 3 during its approach to the sun, comparable to the brightness of a typical star.
- Gravitational Slingshot: Also known as a gravity assist, it’s a technique used by spacecraft to gain speed and change trajectory by using a planet’s or a star’s gravitational pull. Comet Nishimura will use this to accelerate around the sun and into interstellar space.