comets

Latest about comets

Astrophotographer Chris Schur captures this stunning photo of Comet Leonard on Dec. 4, 2021 from Payson, Arizona using a 10-inch Newtonian telescope and 60-minute camera exposure.

Comet Leonard may have spawned meteor shower on Venus

By Elizabeth Howell published

Comet Leonard may be sparking meteor showers at Venus this weekend during a relatively close approach of the comet to the planet.

Venus
Comet 67P, the famous target of the Rosetta mission, has made its closest approach to Earth in November 2021.

Rosetta's 'rubber ducky' comet makes closest approach to Earth, will disappear for 200 years

By Tereza Pultarova published

Comet 67P, which famously hosted the first-ever cometary lander in 2014, made its closest approach to Earth on Friday (Nov. 12).

Comets
An image of Comet 29P taken a few days after one of its superoutbursts.

This mysterious comet's super-bright outbursts have astronomers puzzled

By Tereza Pultarova published

One of the strangest comets in the solar system has been erupting with unpredictable bright outbursts since late September and nobody knows why.

Comets
A composite image shows the passage of 2005 QN173, a rare active asteroid. The nucleus is in the upper left corner of the image; the tail streaks diagonally across the frame.

Strange solar system object is part-asteroid, part-comet

By Meghan Bartels published

Scientists have identified a rare solar system object with traits of both an asteroid and a comet.

Asteroids
Brazilian observer José Luis Pereira captured this shot of an impactor (bright flash at center-left) hitting Jupiter on Sept. 13, 2021.

Jupiter just got smacked by a space rock and an amateur astronomer caught it on camera

By Mike Wall published

Brazilian observer José Luis Pereira captured a bright flash on the solar system's largest planet on Sept. 13, memorializing the fiery death of a space rock high in the Jovian atmosphere.

Jupiter
An image taken by the Dark Energy Survey shows Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein in October 2017.

The 'megacomet' Bernardinelli-Bernstein is the find of a decade. Here's the discovery explained.

By Meghan Bartels published

The scientists that found Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein are an unlikely pair.

Comets
This artist's illustration shows the distant Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein as it might look in the outer Solar System. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is estimated to be about 1000 times more massive than a typical comet, making it arguably the largest comet discovered in modern times. It has an extremely elongated orbit, journeying inward from the distant Oort Cloud over millions of years. It is the most distant comet to be discovered on its incoming path.

Interstellar comets visit our solar system more frequently than thought

By Tereza Pultarova published

Comets from other star systems, such as 2019 Borisov, visit the sun's neighborhood more frequently than scientists had thought, a new study suggests.

Comets
An artist's depiction of a meteor shower on Venus.

Venus and a newly discovered comet will cross paths in December. Will sparks fly?

By Meghan Bartels published

Venus is Earth's twisted twin in so many ways, what about on the skywatching front?

Venus
Artist's concept of the asteroid 16 Psyche, which is thought to be a stripped planetary core.

What can we do with a captured asteroid?

By Paul Sutter published

Asteroids are packed with gold and other valuable resources. And the best way to harvest those metals may be to bring space rocks to Earth.

Asteroids
This artist's illustration shows the distant Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein as it might look in the outer Solar System. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is estimated to be about 1000 times more massive than a typical comet, making it arguably the largest comet discovered in modern times. It has an extremely elongated orbit, journeying inward from the distant Oort Cloud over millions of years. It is the most distant comet to be discovered on its incoming path.

Newly found mega comet may be the largest seen in recorded history

By Elizabeth Howell published

A giant comet found far out in the solar system may be 1,000 times more massive than a typical comet, making it potentially the largest ever found in modern times.

Comets
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