Comets

Latest about Comets

An artist's impression of a dark comet in the outer solar system.

Big 'dark comet' discoveries could be coming in 2025

By Darryl Seligman published

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time should spot many new "dark comets" after coming online in July 2025.

Comets

Get ready for the 'New Year Comet': What to expect from Comet ATLAS (C/2024) G3

By Jamie Carter published

Comet ATLAS (C/2024) G3 could be set to wow sky-watchers at the beginning of 2025.

Comets
An artist's impression of a dark comet in the outer solar system.

Astronomers discover 7 new 'dark comets,' but what exactly are they?

By Keith Cooper published

By doubling the number of known "dark comets," astronomers have been able to split them into two camps depending on their location in the solar system.

Comets
An illustration of a comet.

'Crumb trails' of meteoroids could reveal potentially dangerous comets years before they reach Earth

By Abha Jain published

Potentially dangerous comets could be spotted many years in advance by following the meteoroid trails they leave near Earth, new research shows.

Comets
An infrared image of the coma and tail of comet 29P after an eruption on Dec. 8 2003.

Mysterious, city-size 'centaur' comet gets 300 times brighter after quadruple cold-volcanic eruption

By Harry Baker published

The cryovolcanic "centaur" comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann has erupted four times in less than 48 hours, becoming unusually bright in the process. It is the most powerful outburst from the city-size oddball in more than three years.

Comets
a faint comet with bright short tail hangs in space over a dark curve of earth, slightly illuminated in the atmosphere.

How comet Hale-Bopp can reveal the origins of life on Earth — and maybe beyond

By Victoria Corless published

Scientists are tracking the evolution of comet Hale-Bopp, one of the brightest comets ever seen.

Comets
a bright blue streak of light through a starry night sky

Astrophotographer captures comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS growing an anti-tail (photos)

By Miguel Claro published

Astrophotographer Miguel Claro captured Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve in Portugal on Oct. 13, 2024 as the comet was displaying an 'anti-tail.'

Comets
a bright streak of light flies across the screen in front of background stars

Watch the 'Halloween comet' ATLAS burn up as it flies into the sun (video)

By Brett Tingley published

Watch Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) make a death dive into the sun today (Oct. 28) in this eerie footage from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft.

Comets
a fuzzy white streak in the night sky above a red barn

Headless 'Halloween comet' could already be doomed

By Joe Rao published

While some are hoping for a bright "Halloween comet," astronomers say the speeding cosmic snowball has likely already broken apart.

Comets
a bright white, fuzzy streak in the night sky

See the 'comet of the century' light up the night sky in breathtaking photos

By Brett Tingley published

Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS proved to be photogenic as it lit up the early autumn skies of the Northern Hemisphere this month.

Comets
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