Comet K2, largest comet, making closest approach to earth

Comet C/2017 K2 PANSTARRS, also known as K2, is making its closest approach to earth July 14, 2022, as it makes its pass through the solar system. It was discovered in May 2017 by Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in Hawaii. This comet is unique in that it developed a very large coma of about 130,000 km in diameter early on, suggesting that it is very active.

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Hubble Confirms Largest Comet Nucleus Ever Seen

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has determined the size of the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers. The estimated diameter is approximately 80 miles across, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island. The nucleus is about 50 times larger than found at the heart of most known comets. Its mass is estimated to be a staggering 500 trillion tons, a hundred thousand times greater than the mass of a typical comet found much closer to the Sun.

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