The object was observed for such a brief period that gathering adequate information about its size and proximity to the Sun was not possible. Nevertheless, scientists have significant findings to report.
The majority of those who witnessed the April 8, 2024, eclipse in North America did not see the object, as it was invisible to the naked eye. It was only through telescopic aid that it became visible. In fact, it was spotted prior to the eclipse, but solely by a select few heliophysicists, experts in solar studies.
These scientists’ observations involve creating an artificial solar eclipse by using a coronagraph to obscure the solar disk, allowing them to examine the corona and its vicinity. Just hours before the eagerly anticipated eclipse, US heliophysicist Carl Battams released a fascinating photograph.
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Battams reported spotting an object near the Sun, which he expected to be visible during the eclipse. It is uncertain how extensively this information was disseminated among astronomers, or if they were prepared for observation and knew the precise direction to aim their telescopes.
Nonetheless, astronomers did manage to detect the object within the critical four minutes of the eclipse and captured it in photographs. One such photo was circulated by the Chinese amateur astronomer Lin Zixuan.
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What kind of object is this?
Astronomers believe that this is a circumsolar comet, which orbits extremely close to the Sun, at about 100 to 200 thousand kilometers from its surface. Such comets rarely survive this proximity; they typically either disintegrate completely or shatter into fragments that are also destroyed. Consequently, near-solar comets are often observed only once.
The comet in question has been designated SOHO-5008. The majority of near-solar comets are labeled SOHO because they are discovered by the eponymous space-based solar observatory, which has been operational since 1995. Positioned one and a half million kilometers from Earth, it features a coronagraph and has documented over five thousand comets in the vicinity of the Sun.
Within this group of comets, a particular subset is distinguished by their remarkably similar orbits. For centuries, astronomers have observed their periodic appearances, dating back to ancient times. A notable instance is the Great September Comet of 1882, which was visible in broad daylight for two consecutive days, even through thin clouds.
On September 7, this comet approached the Sun closely, reaching its perihelion. At that moment, astronomers observed a dark stripe dividing its tail and the nucleus elongating and fragmenting into two large and several smaller pieces. Intriguingly, four months prior, on May 17, 1882, during a total solar eclipse in Egypt, a comet was spotted near the Sun, visible to the naked eye.
Known as the Great Eclipse Comet of 1882, it is considered a ‘relative’ of the Great September Comet, suggesting they are part of a larger family. These comets typically disintegrate as they near the Sun, yet many more are believed to exist. The contemporary comet SOHO-5008 is also a member of this family.
Another recent addition to this group is Comet Lovejoy of 2011. After diving into the solar corona, it remarkably survived, indicating it was at least five hundred kilometers in size.
The “Kreutz comets” owe their name to the German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who in the 19th century proved their familial ties. Kreutz theorized that these comets were once part of a single massive comet that disintegrated around two thousand years ago after venturing too close to the Sun. The comet observed in 371 BC by Aristotle and the historian Ephorus of Cyme, who reported witnessing its destruction, is thought to be the possible progenitor of these comets..
Remarkably, the remnants of a significant celestial event persist and, as projected, will linger in the solar system for countless millennia. Over time, they are likely to disintegrate. Should any defy the odds and survive, their trajectories will alter to such an extent that they will become unrecognizable to future astronomers as Kreutz comets.
