Comets

Universe Today has explored the importance of studying impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, and solar physics, and what this myriad of scientific disciplines can teach scientists and the public regarding the search for life beyond Earth. Here, we will explore some of the most awe-inspiring spectacles within our solar system known as comets, including…

I tried to see the famous green comet in the night skies, far from the city, last weekend. It was much harder than I expected, even with advice from a pro, because I didn't plan ahead enough. The moon outshined most of the stars, and I couldn't locate the faint comet, even with binoculars. Loading…

A green comet and Mars will appear side-by-side in the night sky on February 10 and 11. It's a good opportunity to spot the comet in the early evening, maybe with just binoculars. Here's what you need to know to see the colorful cosmic couple. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your…

Photo: Artsiom P (Shutterstock)Unless you are immortal, the next few weeks offer the only chance you’ll have to see Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3). The newly discovered chunk of ice and rock will glow green in the nighttime sky in the first few weeks of February, and it won’t be back near Earth for 50,000 years—if…

A rare green comet is flying past Earth in late January and early February. Comet ZTF hasn't passed our planet since the last Ice Age, and humans may never see it again. These stunning photos show what you could see if you spot the green comet in the night sky. Loading Something is loading. Thanks…

Astronomers recently discovered a green comet approaching Earth for the first time in 50,000 years. Comet ZTF may never return, so we could be the last humans to see it. Here's how, where, and when to see the comet as it passes Earth in late January and early February. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for…

Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app The asteroid Dimorphos just hasn't been the same since NASA slammed a spacecraft into it. In fact, it kind of looks like a comet now, NASA discovered when the Hubble Space Telescope…

Photo: Jim Cumming (Shutterstock)jjjjWhat is K2?The comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)—or “K2" for short—was first spotted five years ago, in May 2017 by the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA reports. The agency shared an image of the comet taken on June 20th, 2022, when it was (relatively) near open star cluster IC 4665 and bright star Beta…

Harvard astronomers have a new theory about the origin of the comet that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.Some 66 million years ago, a catastrophic event occurred that wiped out three-quarters of all plant and animal species on Earth, most notably taking down the dinosaurs. An errant asteroid from the asteroid belt has been deemed…

Enlarge / Comet C/2019 Q4 (Borisov). Note the fuzzy appearance and faint tail. Due to complicated gravitational interactions from planets and other bodies, it's expected that our Solar System has ejected various small bodies like comets and asteroids. Since exosolar systems are likely to do the same, it's thought that the vast distances of interstellar…