The remnants of a comet could still be in our solar system

In 2020, astronomers discovered comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) and thought it would offer a unique spectacle visible from Earth. However, it fragmented into several pieces, and some astronomers believe that those fragments may still be in the solar system.

In a study recently published in The Astronomical Journal, a team led by Salvatore A. Cordova Quijano of Boston University decided to search for a fragment, named fragment B, with the help of the Lowell Discovery Telescope and images provided by the Zwicky Transient Facility. Indeed, after the disintegration of this comet, observations were made with the Hubble Space Telescope, showing several fragments which may still be in our solar system.

However, no results were obtained, suggesting that the size of this fragment is less than a kilometer in diameter. In other words, it is too small to be detected with current equipment. 

Furthermore, when comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) disintegrated, astronomers were not able to observe this event closely, which prevented them from understanding precisely this phenomenon. Finally, the fate of this celestial object also raises other questions, particularly regarding the number of potential comets that are still present in our solar system.