Tag Archive for 'C/2014 UN271'

An artist rendition of comet C/2014 UN271. Image credit: NSF / AUI / NSF / NRAO / M.Weiss.

ALMA Detects Molecular Activity in Largest Known Oort Cloud Comet

Jun 17, 2025 by News Staff

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have observed comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) — the largest...

This image, taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 on January 8, 2022, shows comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein). Image credit: NASA / ESA / Man-To Hui, Macau University of Science and Technology / David Jewitt, UCLA / Alyssa Pagan, STScI.

Hubble Detects Giant Nucleus of Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein

Apr 12, 2022 by News Staff

The estimated diameter of the nucleus of comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is approximately 137 km (85 miles) across, making it the largest...

Coadded images of comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein (C/2014 UN271) from 2018 and 2020, showing coma with a sunward asymmetry; coadded images from several Kuiper Belt objects and asteroids show examples of moving objects of similar brightness that are known to have no coma. Image credit: Farnham et al., doi: 10.3847/PSJ/ac323d.

Study: Giant Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is Among Solar System’s Most Distant Active Comets

Dec 1, 2021 by News Staff

Comet C/2014 UN271 Bernardinelli-Bernstein, the largest comet ever discovered, was already exhibiting coma at heliocentric distances 23.8 and 21.2 AU,...

This image of comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) was taken by the Las Cumbres Observatory 1-m telescope at Sutherland, South Africa, on June 22, 2021; the diffuse cloud is the comet’s coma. Image credit: LOOK project, Las Cumbres Observatory.

Astronomers Spot First Activity on Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein

Jul 16, 2021 by News Staff

Astronomers with Las Cumbres Observatory have captured a new image of the recently-discovered giant comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein). This...

This illustration shows comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein as it might look in the outer Solar System. Image credit: NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / J. da Silva.

Astronomers Discover Giant Comet in Outer Solar System

Jun 29, 2021 by News Staff

Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein, which is between 100 and 200 km (62-124 miles) across, will make its closest approach to the Sun in 2031, according to an...