Comet in Disguise: The 28 Year Mistake That Exposes a Bigger Issue The reclassification of near Earth object 1998 SH2 from asteroid to comet has raised fundamental questions about our understanding of these enigmatic objects and the limitations of current tracking methods.
For nearly three decades, scientists believed they had been observing an asteroid that posed no significant threat to Earth.
However, a combination of advanced radar technology and precise measurements revealed something unexpected: 1998 SH2's motion was irregular, characteristic of a comet rather than an asteroid.