Comets

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.

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

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.

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

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.'

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.

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

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

The cloud is basically a gigantic reservoir that may hold billions of icy celestial bodies. Two of those bodies will pass by Earth in the days leading up to Halloween.

Have you seen comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS yet? If you haven't yet seen the bright, icy space rock that's traveled from the edge of the solar system, it's not too late. But you need to see it soon.