28-Year Identity Swap: 1998 SH2 Is a Comet, Not an Asteroid
TL;DR Summary
A near-Earth object long tracked as a possible asteroid (1998 SH2) was shown to be a comet after nongravitational forces from outgassing altered its path; subsequent observations with large telescopes detected a faint tail, and the object was redesignated as P/1998 SH2, highlighting the existence of dark comets and the importance of continuous tracking for planetary defense.
- Scientists Believed This Near-Earth Object Was an Asteroid for 28 Years. They Were Wrong Gizmodo
- NASA Study Finds Near-Earth Asteroid Is Actually Comet NASA (.gov)
- Near-Earth asteroid not an asteroid at all Popular Science
- A Dark Comet Was Hiding Right Under Our Noses And Got Just 2 Million Miles From Earth IFLScience
- Near-Earth asteroid turns out to be something unusual, NASA finds KTLA
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