Infographic showing features of comet K2, which will pass near Earth this Thursday

This Thursday (14), Comet K2 It will be at its closest point to Earth, 270 million km. Doctor of Physics from the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (IFSC) Marcelo Chabo Explain where it came from and what are the characteristics of this celestial body (see below).

Despite the comet’s proximity to Earth, during the approaching months, observation will only be possible with telescopes, due to the reduced brightness. According to Shabo, the orb was discovered in 2017.

Diagram showing the origin of comet K2 – Image: Arte/Ben Ami Scopinho

According to Shabo, the features we associate with the appearance of a comet, such as the tail, occur when a celestial body approaches the sun. See details below:

This infographic shows how a comet acquires the characteristics associated with it, such as a tail – Image: Arte/Ben Ami Scopinho

Like planets, comets revolve around the sun. However, they are different from asteroids because of their composition. Asteroids are usually made of rocky and mineral materials.

Comets look like a huge snowball, made of ice, dust, and some rocky material. You can recognize them in the night sky by their long tails, which can stretch for millions of kilometers.