Comets from the Oort Cloud Shine Light on Cosmic Mysteries

Comets from the Oort Cloud Shine Light on Cosmic Mysteries

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Updated 1 month ago

Celestial Passages

The Oort Cloud, an invisible and theoretical spherical shell surrounding our solar system, is believed to contain billions of icy bodies, inferred from the periodic arrival of long-period comets like and C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) .

Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, expected to be visible in the western sky after Oct. 12, and C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), predicted to be seen around Oct. 24, showcase the Oort Cloud's dynamic nature and its potential to illuminate human understanding of cosmic phenomena .

Cosmic Significance

The Oort Cloud's icy bodies might have contributed to life's ignition on Earth by delivering essential water, highlighting the dual role of these celestial objects as both life-givers and potential extinction threats .

's 1950 observations on long-period comets, which travel from over a trillion miles away, underscore the vastness of the Oort Cloud and its significance in understanding the solar system's outer reaches and their interaction with the Sun .
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