Astronomers in Hawaii have made a landmark discovery in the form of the first-ever tailless comet, a curious object which could reveal insights into the origins of our solar system.
The find is so unique that science actually has no name for it and, thus, the researchers who found the tailless comet dubbed it a 'Manx object' after a breed of cat which has a similar condition.
Manx objects now constitute an entirely new kind of comet heretofore unknown to astronomers who are eager to determine how it fits into the cosmic mix.
What makes this first Manx particularly interesting to researchers is that it possesses a whopping 860-year-long orbit and is believed to be similar to the materials which ultimately created the Earth.
Beyond its tailless appearance, the unique object also features very little ice, leading one of the lead researchers to marvel "we've found the first rocky comet."
Despite its unassuming appearance, the 'rocky Manx' just may provide astronomers with key insights into how the solar system was formed.
In fact, finding a mere 50 more Manxes could allow researchers with information that could prove or disprove a number of theories for the creation of the solar system.
Given that it has taken this long to find the first one, we may not want to get our hopes up that another 49 more Manxes will appear any time soon, but it's still an exciting development.
Source: Space.com