Is there a comet in 2019?

Remember the Comets of 2019? One Was a Real Stargazer!

A Whole Lotta Comets (Mostly the Dim Kind)

Okay, so 87 comets got official designations in 2019, plus dozens more that had been seen before swung back around for another visit. Space-based telescopes like SOHO and STEREO? They spotted hundreds more! The catch? Most were faint. You needed a telescope to see ’em, which, let’s be honest, rules out most of us just casually glancing up.

The Headliners: Comets Worth a Second Look

Still, a few comets managed to grab our attention. Here’s a quick rundown:

• 46P/Wirtanen: Technically, Wirtanen peaked in December 2018, but it hung around for a bit in early 2019. Binoculars were your friend if you wanted to catch this fading beauty.
• C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto): There was some buzz about Iwamoto getting nice and bright as it zipped past Earth in February 2019. Skywatchers kept their eyes peeled!
• C/2018 W2 (Africano): This one was a late 2018 discovery, but it really picked up the pace in late September 2019, hitting about magnitude 9. Not bad! Northern Hemisphere folks had the best view.
• 38P/Stephan-Oterma: Early 2019 saw this one hanging out near Wirtanen, sporting a decent coma and a little tail.
• 64P/Swift-Gehrels: Northern Hemisphere observers, you were in luck! This comet was well-placed all winter long.
• C/2018 N2 (ASASSN): Reached perihelion in November 2019, but it was pretty far out and not super bright.

C/2019 Q4 (Borisov): Our Interstellar Guest Star!

Now, this is the comet everyone remembers from 2019. Gennady Borisov spotted it in late August, and it quickly became clear this wasn’t your average space rock. Its path was just…weird. Like, really weird. Turns out, it came from outside our solar system! Only the second interstellar object we’ve ever seen. Talk about a cosmic tourist!

• Totally From Another Star System: The official name? 2I/Borisov. The “2I” is the giveaway – “I” stands for “interstellar.” It was hauling serious tail, too – something like 93,000 miles per hour. And its orbit? Tilted at a crazy angle. No doubt about it, this thing was an outsider.
• Making a Close Pass: Borisov swung closest to the sun in December 2019, then made its closest approach to Earth shortly after. Still pretty far away, though.
• What’s It Made Of? Surprisingly, it looked a lot like comets from our own Oort cloud. Who knew interstellar comets could be so…familiar?
• Telescopes Only, Sorry: You needed some serious equipment to see Borisov. But scientists got a fantastic chance to study something from another star system.

A Fizzle and a Fantastic Find

Not every comet is a winner. Remember C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)? It showed early promise, but then…poof! It broke apart as it got closer to the sun. Bummer.

But even with the occasional disappointment, 2019 reminded us how dynamic and surprising space can be. And Borisov? That interstellar comet gave us a peek at what might be floating around other star systems. Pretty cool, huh?