Five Bright Comets from SOHO
9.10.2024

Five bright comets are compared in these panels, recorded by a coronograph on board the long-lived, sun-staring SOHO spacecraft. Arranged chronologically all are recognizable by their tails streaming away from...

APOD: 2024 September 25 Á Comet A3 Through an Australian Sunrise
24.09.2024

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is now visible in the early morning sky. Diving into the inner Solar System at an odd angle, this large dirty iceberg will pass its closest to the Sun -- between the orbits of Mercury and Venus -- in just two days.

APOD: 2024 September 23 Á Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS Approaches
22.09.2024

What will happen as this already bright comet approaches? Optimistic predictions have Comet C/2023 A3 (TsuchinshanÁATLAS) briefly becoming easily visible to the unaided eye -- although the future brightness of comets are notoriously hard to predict, and this comet may even break up in warming sunlight.

APOD: 2024 October 7 Á The Long Tails of Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS
6.10.2024

A bright comet is moving into the evening skies. C/2023 A3 (TsuchinshanÁATLAS) has brightened and even though it is now easily visible to the unaided eye, it is so near to the Sun that it is still difficult to see. Pictured, Comet TsuchinshanÁATLAS was captured just before sunrise from an Andes Mountain in Peru.

Comet at Moonrise
3.10.2024

Comet C/2023 A3 (TsuchinshanÁATLAS) is growing brighter in planet Earth's sky. Fondly known as comet A3, this new visitor to the inner Solar System is traveling from the distant Oort cloud. The comet...

APOD: 2024 September 30 Á Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS over Mexico
29.09.2024

The new comet has passed its closest to the Sun and is now moving closer to the Earth. C/2023 A3 (TsuchinshanÁATLAS) is currently moving out from inside the orbit of Venus and on track to pass its nearest to the Earth in about two weeks.

APOD: 2024 April 8 Á The Changing Ion Tail of Comet Pons Brooks
7.04.2024

How does a comet tail change? It depends on the comet. The ion tail of Comet 12P/PonsÁBrooks has been changing markedly, as detailed in the featured image sequenced over nine days from March 6 to 14 (top to bottom).

Comet Pons-Brooks at Night
3.04.2024

In dark evening skies over June Lake, northern hemisphere, planet Earth, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks stood just above the western horizon on March 30. Its twisted turbulent ion tail and diffuse greenish coma are captured in this two degree wide telescopic field of view along with bright yellowish star Hamal also known as Alpha Arietis.

APOD: 2024 June 4 Á Comet Pons Brooks Develops Opposing Tails
3.06.2024

Why does Comet Pons-Brooks now have tails pointing in opposite directions? The most spectacular tail is the blue-glowing ion tail that is visible flowing down the image. The ion tail is pushed directly out from the Sun by the solar wind. On the upper right is the glowing central coma of Comet 12P/PonsÁBrooks.

APOD: 2024 April 17 Á Total Eclipse and Comets
16.04.2024

Not one, but two comets appeared near the Sun during last week's total solar eclipse. The expected comet was Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, but it was disappointingly dimmer than many had hoped. However, relatively unknown Comet SOHO-5008 also appeared in long duration camera exposures.