☄️ The Asteroid That Wasn’t

For 27 years, scientists believed 1998 SH2 was an asteroid.
But its orbit slowly changed in a way gravity couldn’t explain.
After years of observations, astronomers discovered the truth: the object is actually a comet. Tiny amounts of gas escaping from its icy interior were gently pushing it through space, changing its path.
This discovery suggests that many “asteroids” may actually be hidden comets waiting to be identified.
Source: NASA / JPL-Caltech
Artist’s concept | NASA/JPL-Caltech