Naked photobombing comet found in public image

A team of researchers discovered a naked photobombing comet, 28P/Neujmin, in publicly available archival data from the Subaru Telescope. The comet was captured in an image where it unexpectedly appeared in the background of a photo of a white box, revealing its presence without the usual coma that comets develop as they approach the sun. This discovery highlights the importance of large telescopes like Subaru in observing faint, distant objects. The findings are published in the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan.

• The comet was observed at a distance of more than 10 astronomical units from the sun, farther than the distance from the sun to Saturn.
• By analyzing how sunlight reflects off the comet's nucleus, researchers found similarities and differences between 28P/Neujmin and asteroids.
• The study demonstrates how the Subaru Telescope's wide field of view and sensitivity can lead to unexpected discoveries about comet nuclei.
• Researchers hope to use this method to gain a better understanding of how comet nuclei have evolved over time, offering new insights into the formation and evolution of solar system bodies.

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