Mysterious Voyagers: Are We Drinking Water Delivered by Dark Comets?

A University of Michigan study reveals that up to 60% of near-Earth objects may be dark comets, containing ice that might have contributed to Earth’s water supply.

These objects, combining characteristics of both asteroids and comets, likely originated from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. The research highlights the possibility of ice subsurface within asteroids and suggests that these objects could play a role in transferring ice to the inner solar system.

Up to 60% of near-Earth objects could be dark comets, mysterious asteroids that orbit the sun in our solar system that likely contain or previously contained ice and could have been one route for delivering water to Earth, according to a University of Michigan study.