2I/Borisov comet was formed in another planetary system that might be similar to ours
The comet is expected to reach its closest point to the Sun on 8 December and closest point to the Earth soon after. The second interstellar object ever spotted passing through the solar system is a comet that appears quite like those formed in our neighbourhood of the cosmos, providing fresh evidence that other planetary systems may be very similar to our own. The only previous interstellar visitor discovered in our solar system was a cigar-shaped rocky object called ‘Oumuamua’ found in 2017. This is important because it shows that comets exist in interstellar space, confirming long-standing predictions, and it tells us that comets similar to the ones we know from this solar system also form around other stars,” said astronomer Michal Drahus of Jagiellonian University in Poland. The speed of 2I/Borisov and the nature of its orbital path demonstrated that it did not originate in our solar system, Jagiellonian University astronomer Piotr Guzik said.
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