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Comet 2I/ Borisov at Perihelion

Comet 2I/ Borisov at Perihelion
Hubble revisited comet 2I/Borisov on Dec. 9, 2019, shortly after its closest approach to the Sun where it received maximum heating after spending most of its life in frigid interstellar space. The comet also reached a breathtaking maximum speed of about 100,000 miles per hour. Comet Borisov is 185 million miles from Earth in this photo, near the inner edge of the asteroid belt but below it. The nucleus, an agglomeration of ices and dust, is still too small to be resolved. The bright central portion is a coma made up of dust leaving the surface. The comet will make its closest approach to Earth in late December at a distance of 180 million miles.

About the Object

  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    At the time of observations, the comet was 1.99 AU from Earth (185 million miles).

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    The HST observations include those from programs 16009 (D. Jewitt).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    9 Dec 2019
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F350LP
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Comet 2I/Borisov
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    First interstellar comet, at perihelion
  • Release Date
    December 12, 2019
  • Science Release
    Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov Swings Past Sun
    Read the release
  • Credits
    NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA)

Downloads

  • Full res, 913 × 833
    png (3.82 MB)
  • Full res, 913 × 833
    tif (4.37 MB)
Comet 2I/ Borisov at Perihelion
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. The color results from assigning the color blue to a monochromatic (grayscale) image.

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

Comet 2I/Borisov Near and at Perihelion

Comet 2I/Borisov Near and at Perihelion

These two images, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, capture comet 2I/Borisov streaking though our solar system and on its way back to interstellar space. It is only the second interstellar object known to have passed through the solar system. "Hubble gives us the best...

Comet 2I/ Borisov Near Perihelion

Comet 2I/ Borisov Near Perihelion

This image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on Nov. 16, 2019 captures comet 2I/Borisov streaking though our solar system and on its way back to interstellar space. It is only the second interstellar object known to have passed through the solar system. Comet 2I/Borisov...

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 12, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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