A mysterious volcanic comet has awakened, triggering four major eruptions in less than 48 hours and spewing enough of its icy innards to make the city-sized object appear nearly 300 times brighter than normal, according to researchers researchers. The latest explosions, which are the largest in more than three years, add to growing confusion over when and why this strange explosive detonated.

THE cometknown as 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann (29P), is a large icy object extending about 60 kilometers in diameter, or about three times the length of Manhattan. It is one of approximately 500 comets known as “centaurs” that spend their entire lives confined to space. internal solar system. However, 29P is also part of an even rarer group known as cryovolcanic comets, or cold volcanoes.