Jan 9, 2025 · The Universe; Solar System; Comets; Once-in-a-160000-year comet G3 ATLAS could shine as bright as Venus next week. Here's what to expect.

4 days ago · Increasingly difficult to see . By Jan. 7, the comet reportedly had reached first magnitude, accompanied by a tail roughly a half-degree in length (about equal to the apparent diameter of the moon).

Sep 25, 2019 · Shortly after its launch in 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will observe three different types of comets in infrared light, which is invisible to human eyes. By learning more about comets, scientists can gain new insights into what the solar system was like billions of years ago. Webb, A Powerful Tool.

Jan 16, 2025 · In a race against time, clouds and the setting sun, photographer Josh Dury captured this dramatic photograph of Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) at dusk on Jan. 15. The comet is a rare visitor to our...

Dec 9, 2024 · Comets are cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock, and dust that orbit the Sun. When frozen, they are the size of a small town. When a comet’s orbit brings it close to the Sun, it heats up and spews dust and gases into a giant glowing head larger than most planets.

Dec 3, 2024 · Researchers have found that water on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has a similar molecular signature to the water in Earth’s oceans. Contradicting some recent results, this finding reopens the case that Jupiter-family comets like …

From Jan. 11 to 15, 2025, a bright comet surged through images from the ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft. Called C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), the ...

Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 January 28 ... Comets can be huge. When far from the Sun, a comet's size usually refers to its hard nucleus of ice and rock, which typically spans a few kilometers -- smaller than even a ...

Nov 5, 2024 · Moving across the constellation Ophiuchus in the evening sky, Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS continues to fade as it moves farther away from Earth and the Sun. The comet now glows at 6th...

Jul 25, 2024 · These historic comet annals have proven to be a valuable resource for later astronomers. We now know that comets are leftovers from the dawn of our solar system around 4.6 billion years ago, and consist mostly of ice coated with dark organic material. They have been referred to as “dirty snowballs.”