Gennady Borisov, an amateur astronomer from Crimea, has discovered a new comet in the solar system, as reported on November 8, 2024. This marks Borisov's 13th comet discovery, placing him second among amateur astronomers globally for the number of comets found.
Earlier this year, Borisov identified a large asteroid approximately 200 meters in diameter, which poses a potential threat to Earth. He gained fame in 2019 for discovering a comet that was named after him.
The newly discovered comet, designated C/2024 V1 (Borisov), was confirmed by several astronomers worldwide, with a verification certificate issued by Harvard’s Center for Small Planetary Studies.
Borisov reported that he spent over a year searching for the comet, dedicating significant time to observation and data analysis. On the morning of the discovery, while scanning the northern sky in the constellation Ursa Major, he initially mistook the object for an asteroid. However, further observation revealed a faint tail, confirming it as a comet.
The comet will be located 1.5 astronomical units from Earth until February 2025, and can be observed between Mars and Jupiter. Its next approach will occur in approximately 3,700 years.
To date, astronomers have discovered over 4,500 comets throughout history. Borisov, who resides in the Bakhchisarai district of Crimea, constructs his own telescopes for celestial observations. Since 2013, he has identified 68 near-Earth asteroids, totaling over 130 discoveries.