To scientists, it's called Comet 2014 UN271/(Bernardinelli-Bernstein).

But to everyday folk, it's a gargantuan megacomet spanning a mind-blowing 137 kilometres wide, making it officially the largest comet ever measured.

Think about a straight line from Sydney to Newcastle, and that's roughly the staggering width of Bernardinelli-Bernstein.

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The first images of Bernardinelli-Bernstein were recorded in 2014, when it was spotted 4.59 billion kilometres away from Earth, about the same distance as the planet Neptune.

Initially the comet was estimated to measure anywhere between 100 to 370 kilometres wide.

Now those measurements have been firmed up.

"We have confirmed the estimate," Dr Emmanuel Lellouch of the Paris Observatory told New Scientist.

"It's the biggest comet from the Oort Cloud ever found."

The news means Bernardinelli-Bernstein has knocked Hale-Bopp, around 70 kilometres wide, off the top spot.

What is the Oort cloud?

NASA has described the Oort cloud as "the most distant region of our solar system", and is believed to hold billions of pieces of space debris the size of mountains and sometimes larger.

During its formation, massive chunks of rock and ice were catapulted into the Oort cloud from the newly formed solar system along with space debris from other planetary systems.

Researchers think that holds clues to our sun's long-lost twin, and is part of the binary system theory.

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Scientists believe the Oort cloud may have played important roles in Earth's history, such as causing the extinction of the dinosaurs.

It also holds clues for the mysterious Planet Nine that astronomers have yet to prove exists.

There was a brief show of unity in Canberra this morning as politicians attended church before the unholy mess of parliament resumed for the year.

After text message scandals, a drop in the polls, and an aged care crisis, the prime minister might have prayed for an opportunity to hit the political reset button ahead of the election.

His MPs were certainly looking to a higher power.

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"I might even say a little prayer for our election prospects," Michael McCormack told journalists on his way into the Greek Orthodox Church in Canberra.

Perched in the front row during the service were the prime minister, the treasurer and Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie, with the deputy prime minister relegated to the back.

Having been labelled a "liar and a hypocrite" by his right-hand man, things could get a little awkward between Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce today.

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Not that Nationals MPs think Australians are bothered by the character assessments of the PM.

"They're not interested in the bubble; they're not sitting around the kitchen table talking about text messages," Nationals Minister Keith Pitt said.

Labor, on the other hand, think their prayers have been answered.

"This government is a rabble, it's falling apart," said Senator Kristina Keneally.

"Today in church I'll be praying that the Australian people get the government they deserve."

And the Prime Minister will be hoping for another election miracle.

The first rogue black hole may have just been discovered zipping around the galaxy, and it's only 5000 light-years away from Earth.

A team of astrophysicists claim they've detected an isolated stellar-mass black hole around the bulge in the centre of the Milky Way.

Scientists were tipped off to its existence when it passed in front of a background star — the black hole's extreme gravity bent the light of the star.

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The find was made possible with NASA's Hubble Telescope, which was used over a six-year study period.

Researchers estimate the isolated black hole is about 7.1 times the mass of the sun, and is moving at a speed of 45 kilometres per second — or 162,000 kilometres per hour.

This suggests it received a kick from the supernova explosion that birthed it.

While the paper, submitted to The Astrophysical Journal, is yet to be peer-reviewed, the presence of such elusive black holes has long been theorised.

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"We report the first unambiguous detection and mass measurement of an isolated stellar-mass black hole," the team, lead by astrophysicist Kailash Sahu, wrote.

"We show that the lens emits no detectable light, which, along with having a mass higher than is possible for a white dwarf or neutron star, confirms its black hole nature."

Black holes are born "from the remnants of a large star that dies in a supernova explosion," NASA explains.

They have a gravitational field so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.

A dolphin who found itself stuck in shallow water in Melbourne's west has been towed to safety with help from Melbourne Zoo and Victoria Police.

The dolphin was found beached in shallow water in the section of Port Phillip Bay alongside Greenwich Reserve in Williamstown yesterday afternoon.

Marine animal experts from Melbourne Zoo's Marine Response Unit were called to help the dolphin, before they called for backup from water police just after 4pm.

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The group of rescuers made a sling to tow the dolphin into deeper water.

It was then assessed by experts before being successfully released back into the ocean.

Victoria Police's Leading Senior Constable, Tony Christensen, said "it was a privilege to be involved in the rescue of such an amazing creature".

"Our members often see dolphins in the bay during patrols and it's great to see this one back where it belongs," he said.

Doorbell surveillance cameras captured a mystery explosion in the USA that levelled a luxury mansion.

Fire investigators are continuing their inquiries after the incident on Saturday (US time) in Phoenix, Arizona, reports news outlet ABC15.

There were no injuries after the explosion shattered the multi-million dollar property within seconds.

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Several neighbouring homes were damaged and lost electricity when power lines caught fire after the blast.

"We were just sitting in the living room, and it was like this huge explosion," said next-door neighbour Jeff Buel.

"We quickly went out and then our neighbour across the street was waving her arms, that house just blew up."

Firefighters from Tempe, Glendale, Scottsdale, and Phoenix Fire departments were called to the incident.

They worked through the night to contain the blaze.

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Captain Todd Keller with the Phoenix Fire Department said, "Six homes were damaged. Four to five of them were evacuated."

He said there was no natural gas to the property but could not confirm if there was propane gas at the house.

A Canadian website known for hosting right-wing content has offered US podcaster Joe Rogan $USD 100 million ($140 million) to switch his podcast from Spotify to their platform.

The CEO of Rumble – an online video hosting service that hosts prominent US conservatives such as Former President Donald Trump, Sean Hannity and Dinesh D'Souza – publicly reached out to Rogan to extend the offer.

Posting the letter online, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski offered $USD 100 million over four years for Rogan to bring his podcast to the, promising "no censorship" from any topic.

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https://twitter.com/rumblevideo/status/1490718158449172481

"We stand with you, your guests, and your legion of fans in desire for real conversation. So we'd like to offer you 100 million reasons to make the world a better place," Mr Pavlovski said in the letter.

"How about you bring all your shows to Rumble, both old and news, with no censorship, for 100 million bucks over four years?

"This is our chance to save the world. And yes, this is totally legit."

Rogan, who hosts the world's most popular podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, has endured intense backlash in the past fortnight over accusations he is spreading COVID-19 misinformation via his current podcast host, Spotfiy.

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In late January prominent musician Neil Young demanded his music be removed from Spotify after learning of the potential misinformation being spread on the platform, which sparked a number of similar demands from artists.

Spotify – who reportedly signed Rogan on an exclusive deal worth $USD 100 million ($140 million) – stuck by the comedian and UFC commentator but promised to add a COVID-19 advisory to the start of any podcast that discussed the virus.

The platform's relationship with Rogan was further strained yesterday, when an edited video of the podcaster using racial slurs surfaced on social media.

The compilation video prompted an apology from Rogan and the removal of dozens of epsiodes of The Joe Rogan Experience – but Spotify said it would not silence its most downloaded podcaster.

"While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realise some will want more," Spotfiy CEO Daniel Ek said in a note.

"And I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer."

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Each episode of The Joe Rogan Experience features a long-form interview with a guest, with some episodes focused on UFC commentary or analysing recent MMA fights.

Topics vary hugely with central themes including combat sports, psychedelic drugs, conspiracy theories and health and fitness.

A number of highly-influential guests have appeared on the show, including world's richest person Elon Musk, boxer Mike Tyson, musician Kanye West and whistle blower Edward Snowden.

It's likely the most popular podcast on the planet, average an approximate 200 million downloads per month.

A surprise clutch of eastern brown snake eggs "gifted" to a New South Wales snake catcher at the start of the year are "doing well".

Sean Cade, owner of Australian Snake Catchers, became a surrogate mother to "23 perfect eggs" at the beginning of the year, when a gravid snake laid them in his bag overnight.

At the time Mr Cade described the event as "rare".

Speaking to 9news.com.au today, Mr Cade is happy to report the eggs are developing well and slated to hatch "sometime in March".

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He said a friend is currently acting as a stand-in aunty.

"She has got the incubator," he said with a laugh.

"She's misting them. Snake eggs are leathery and soft, not rock hard like a bird egg, so they need moisture".

Mr Cade added in the wild eastern brown snakes leave their eggs once laid, with 16 considered an average clutch size.

Of the 23 eggs laid about six look like they're going hatch.

"Six is good, if I can save one of these eggs that's a good result in my book," he said.

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Eastern brown snakes are considered Australia's second most venomous land snake.

Mr Cade said the baby snakes will be too fragile to milk for the state's anti-venom programme when born.

So, instead they will return to the wild.

"That's where they belong," he said, explaining the baby snakes are just as venomous as their adult counterparts.

"It's unfortunate how I came to have them in having to rescue the mum in the first place.

"They're an important part of the ecosystem."

Australia is nearing the end of snake season, which runs from around mid-September to March.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has pledged the Federal Government will "do more if required" ahead of ADF troops being deployed to help the aged care sector through its ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Almost 12,000 aged care residents and staff are currently infected with the virus, and 1176 facilities nationally are battling outbreaks.

New South Wales is the worst-affected, followed by Victoria and Queensland.

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Up to 1700 Defence troops will be sent into aged care homes around the country, broken up into clinical, logistical and general help teams.

It's a solution the aged care sector has been crying out for, with up to 30 per cent of its workforce off sick or isolating in January.

"The Australian Defence Force is known for many things but principally, I think, their ability to organise, to get things sorted out, and to make sure that we can treat people with dignity," Mr Dutton told Today.

"That's exactly what we're on a path to do and I'm very proud of the work that they do."

Mr Dutton also said that the aged care death rate, averaging about 1000 a week, had not increased during the pandemic.

"That is the reality with terminal diseases and cancers and dementia and other things as people get older," he said.

He suggested a number of deaths attributed to the current COVID-19 outbreak would be of people dying with the virus rather than from it.

Services Australia CEO Sean Rooney said while the sector was thankful for the ADF support, the fundamental issues behind the crisis remained unchanged.

"We had a royal commission that found that overall, we are understaffed and those staff are undervalued and underpaid. And it has only been magnified now through the pandemic," he told Today.

"We need to get back to fixing the fundamentals, ensuring that we have enough staff who are adequately skilled and qualified and appropriately paid, and that services are funded to deliver all the care that's needed to the level that's desired."

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Staff have been forced to prioritise even basic needs for residents, such as showering, food and medication.

Some residents have been stuck in their rooms alone for weeks as outbreaks rage.

In Queensland, one centre found itself in a situation where there was one nurse to treat 172 residents.

Of the 286 COVID-19 deaths the state has recorded in the Omicron wave, 151 have been in aged care.

In Melbourne, rapid antigen tests are being blamed for an outbreak at an aged care facility in Reservoir.

Two residents tested positive, while their close contacts came back negative on several RATs.

However, PCR testing was eventually carried out on the entire wing, resulting in 20 positive results.

Crowds gathered in Morocco's northern Chefchaouen province on Monday to attend the funeral of five-year-old Rayan Aourram, who died after being trapped in a well for four days.

Hundreds of mourners carried Rayan's coffin, and laid him to rest two days after he passed away.

Rayan was confirmed dead late Saturday by authorities after an ongoing rescue attempt failed to save him.

The five-year-old boy had been trapped since Tuesday before being retrieved by rescue teams from the well on Saturday, but did not survive his ordeal, state media reported.

Rayan's parents were transferred to the cemetery in an ambulance, both distressed and in tears as seen on local broadcaster, Chouf TV.

"May God be with my son," his father Khaled Aourram told Chouf.

Rayan's rescue efforts gripped much of the country with the hashtag #SaveRayan trending in North Africa and other parts of the world.

The child was stuck in a well that reached more than 30 metres underground in the Chefchaouen province.

Rayan fell into the well Tuesday afternoon and was discovered after he was heard crying, his mother said in an interview with state-owned Al-Aoula TV two days later.

She said he was playing nearby before he disappeared, and that she quickly called authorities after finding out what had happened.

An outpouring of grief

Rayan's passing generated an outpouring of grief with world leaders offering condolences to his family.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco offered condolences to Rayan's family in a phone call, according to a statement from the Royal Palace.

"Following the tragic accident that claimed the life of the child Rayan Oram, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God protect him, made a phone call to Mr Khaled Oram, and Mrs. Wassima Khersheesh, the parents of the deceased who passed away, after falling into a well," the statement said

While French President Emmanuel Macron said that he shared in the pain and grief felt by Rayan's family and the people of Morocco.

"Tonight, I want to tell the family of little Rayan and the Moroccan people that we share their pain. This evening, I would like to say to the family of the child Rayan and to the Moroccan people that we share their grief," Mr Macron wrote in a Facebook post Saturday.

Rayan was also mourned by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid.

South Australian police are mounting a major land search for the body of Robert Atkins, who was one of three men believed to have been murdered by a gang of southern suburbs drug dealers.

Detectives will be searching a remote part of the state's mid-north where they are hoping to find the young man's remains.

Security footage from November 2020 shows Mr Atkins at the counter of the Harvey Norman in the Gepps Cross homemaker centre in Adelaide's north on the day before police believe he was murdered.

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Police said he was likely under the control of another man who was forcing him to use a stolen credit card.

Robert Atkins's mother, Trish Spencer, is now trying to retrace her son's final movements.

"I think he would be terrified. He would be absolutely scared to death," Ms Spencer said.

Police suspect Mr Atkins was kidnapped by a gang of criminals — who initially held and tortured the 32-year-old over a small drug debt — a week before he was spotted at Harvey Norman.

"We know he was assaulted with a torch as well as a baton within the address at Christie Downs," Detective Sergeant Jarrad Parker said.

Police also believe Mr Atkins was held at homes in Seaford and North Plympton before being taken to Gepps Cross where it was believed he was blackmailed into committing crimes.

"We think Rob would have had a really good idea of what these people were like and what they're capable of and that's why we believe that he was doing as he was told," Sergeant Parker said.

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Police revealed Mr Atkins was loaded into a Nissan Pathfinder by a lone man late on November 15, 2020.

He was then driven to Port Adelaide where a stolen credit card was used to purchase alcohol.

From there, police said the car travelled north to Booborowie before turning west and arriving in Port Pirie just after midnight.

They say the suspected killer remained there with associates until after sunrise on November 16 when the car headed through Laura and eventually to Orroroo, where police believe Mr Atkins was murdered and his body dumped.

"We certainly are making progress in that and we're hoping that pretty soon we'll be able to go out and physically conduct a search of an area," Sergeant Parker said.

Ms Spencer is urging anyone with information to contact police.

"They need to be honest and go in and tell their story."