Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák, approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) in diameter, has been found to exhibit a unique phenomenon: it is spinning in reverse. This discovery, made by a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), was based on data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope during the comet’s closest approach to the Sun, known as perihelion, in 2017.
The findings were published in March 2026 in The Astronomical Journal. Dr. David Jewitt, the study’s sole author and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences at UCLA, hypothesized that the comet’s reverse spin could be attributed to outgassing jets. These jets, which stream off the comet’s surface, can act like small thrusters, altering the rotation of the comet. “If those jets are unevenly distributed, they can dramatically change how a comet, especially a small one, rotates,” said Dr. Jewitt.
In addition to its unusual spin, observations indicated that 41P’s surface was less active in 2017 compared to its previous perihelion in 2001. This is particularly noteworthy, as comet surfaces typically undergo changes over centuries. The rapid alteration observed in 41P suggests a significant shift in its behavior.
Computer models predict that at its current spin rate, 41P may face self-destruction due to the forces generated by its rotation. The study estimates that the comet’s nucleus could last only a few more decades, significantly shorter than the average lifespan of 1,000 years for comets. This raises questions about whether 41P is emitting unusually large amounts of outgassing or if it is a fragment of a larger comet.
41P originates from the Kuiper Belt, a region located about 30 to 50 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, and it completes an orbit around the Sun every 5.4 years. It is part of a catalog of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 comets that travel from the outer solar system to the inner solar system.
The implications of this research extend beyond 41P, as it opens up new avenues for understanding the dynamics of comets and their evolution. The study of reverse-spinning comets may provide further insights into the processes that govern these ancient celestial bodies.
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Original source: universetoday.com
