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Dark comets, which combine the properties of asteroids and comets, are a mysterious phenomenon in the solar system that can shed light on the question of the origin of life on Earth.
These objects, which at first glance look like ordinary asteroids, differ in the absence of a coma, a cloud of gas and dust, characteristic of comets. However, periodic emissions of volatile substances and sudden changes in trajectory indicate their cometary activity. For example, asteroid 2003 RM, discovered in 2003, unexpectedly deviated from its orbit in 2016, showing an unexpected acceleration. Its behavior excludes collision or impact the Yarkovsky effect, leaving only one possible mechanism — jet thrust from gas emissions.
Similar phenomena have been recorded in other objects, including the interstellar guest Oumuamua, although it does not belong to the Solar System. Recent studies have identified 14 dark comets, which are divided into two groups: "external", located in elongated orbits outside Mars, and "internal", having rounded orbits closer to the Sun. According to the scientists' conclusions, such objects could be full-fledged comets that gradually lost most of their volatile substances, leaving only fragmentary activity.
Scientists believe that dark comets may play a key role in understanding the origin of life on Earth. Their potential to deliver organic matter and water makes these objects unique witnesses of the early stages of the formation of the Solar System. The study of such celestial bodies opens up new perspectives for the study of the cosmos and its influence on the evolution of the planets.
