Space rock called Centaur is in the process of turning into a comet

Astronomers have recently been able to spot a space rock that appeared to be undergoing some significant life changes. According to Planetary scientists, they have discovered an object that is in the process of turning into a comet. This is something they have witnessed for the very first time.

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How was the object spotted?

The object was spotted with the help of an Atlas telescope and has been called the P/2019 LD2. It was discovered in Hawaii in May 2020 and was initially suggested by the researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Institute for Astronomy that it was the first cometary Jupiter Trojan asteroid, however, it is now suggested by studies that it’s an active centaur.

The distinction was made using its orbit, which is a type of rocky and icy object and features some diverse compositions. These are short-period comets that are also considered as dynamically unstable part of the icy bodies. They come from the trans-Neptunian reservoir population in the Kuiper Belt, and revolve around the sun in about every ten years.

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In due course, these objects can transform dynamically with the help of gravitational interactions with the giant planets. The evolution continues until the centaurs are released or they relocate into the solar system.

It is also worth noting that the short-period comets that were found earlier had first transformed into comets, however, that’s not the case with the P/2019 LD2. According to a report published by Kathryn Volk and associates at arXiv.org, the LD2 will transition into a comet by 2063.

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Kathryn Volk and her team have also reproduced a number of different paths to observe where the P/2019 LD2 was and the place it was going. In 1850, its orbit drove it towards Saturn before it got into its present orbit and had a close encounter with the gas giant planet in the year 2017. In 2063, the P/2019 LD2 will move out of its current orbit towards the sun, where the sun’s heat will likely channel LD2’s volatile elements, thereby giving it a shiny comet tail.

 As per ScienceNews, American Space Agency NASA has plans to launch space shuttle to centaurs, however, there isn't any development as of yet.

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Image credits: University of Arizona/Heather Roper