Massive Comet Will Pass Earth In 2031

A new comet was recently discovered called Bernardinelli-Bernstein, which is officially the largest ever discovered. Its official name is Oort Cloud comet C/2014, and it is massive at 85 miles in diameter. Astronomers so far have admitted that their estimates of 85 miles are plus or minus 10.5 miles.

Bernardinelli-Bernstein is the largest Oort Cloud object ever detected. It’s about twice as large as Hail-Bopp discovered in 1997, with a nucleus measured between 25 and 50 miles wide. The closest approach to Earth will occur in 2031.

That year, it will approach within 1 billion miles the sun. That would mean it will come no closer than Saturn and won’t be visible to the naked eye.

However, astronomers will be studying the comet closely. Bernardinelli-Bernstein was discovered by astronomers Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein.