This active asteroid has grown a tail! What happened?
The active asteroid 1995 BJ4 has developed a cometlike tail. If the tail is due to sublimating ice, it would make it the largest known main-belt comet. The post This active asteroid has grown a tail! What happened? first appeared on EarthSky .
Astronomers have observed asteroid 6993 (1995 BJ4) growing a tail in recent images, resembling a comet. The object, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, appears to be shedding material and growing a tail, much like a comet. While initially called an active asteroid, it may be classified as a main-belt comet if the tail is caused by sunlight vaporizing ice on its surface.
This would make it the largest-known main-belt comet, as it is about 7.5 miles (12 km) across, larger than 99% of asteroids. The tail could also result from a collision among bodies in the main asteroid belt. Continued observations will help determine the cause of the activity, with perihelion (closest approach to the sun) occurring in January 2027.
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