Items tagged with Comet

The Lyrids meteor shower is about to light up the night sky in a spectacular fashion with falling stars to make wishes upon. The first recorded sighting of a Lyrids meteor shower dates all the way back to 687 BC by the Chinese. While not as fast or bountiful as the Perseids, the Lyrids are well known for producing... Read more...
As people prepare for the upcoming total solar eclipse, a rare and sinister sounding comet, nicknamed the “devil comet,” is crashing the celestial party. Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the “Mother of Dragons” comet, is now visible in the northern hemisphere night sky for the first time in around 70... Read more...
In true Halloween fashion, a comet twice the size of Mount Everest and that earned the nickname the “Devil Comet” is heading toward Earth. The comet, which has a far less intimidating scientific name, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, has a short-period orbit around the Sun of about once every 71 years. Comet Pons-Brooks’... Read more...
The Perseid meteor shower is about to be in full swing and you can catch some falling stars without having to leave the comfort of your home. The peak of the summer shower is expected to be tonight and into the morning hours of August 13, 2023. Sky watchers may have already noticed an uptick in the amount of... Read more...
The Perseid meteor shower has already begun, but the peak of the spectacle in the night sky is yet to come. The annual meteor shower started lighting up the night sky on July 17, 2023 and is expected to last until around August 24, 2023. Every summer the Perseid meteor shower sprinkles the sky with streaks of... Read more...
NASA has reported that two asteroids 100-feet (30-meters) or larger are making their closest approach to Earth today, June 18, 2023. The larger of the two asteroids is estimated to be 110-feet (34-meters), or roughly around the size of 10-story building. Astronomers keep a watchful eye on the sky for any asteroids... Read more...
Scientists took NASA's Webb telescope on a treasure hunt in the asteroid belt, and ended up finding as many questions as answers. Solar system scientists identified water vapor on Comet Read, an important clue in solving how water came about on Earth, but it was missing another key component: carbon dioxide. NASA's... Read more...
A comet discovered in March of last year may not return to Earth for another 50,000 years, or ever. C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was spotted when it was already inside the orbit of Jupiter. The first month of 2023 will be filled with bright stars. In the first few hours after dark, the bright constellations Orion the hunter... Read more...
The Draconids meteor shower is expected to peak this weekend. While not considered a major meteor shower, this particular one has been known to produce hyperactivity called meteor storms. Meteor showers can provide a delightful showcase of falling stars dashing across the night sky. The upcoming meteor shower... Read more...
Comet C/2017 K2 will be at its closest orbital point to Earth later today, and you can watch the cosmic flyby live. The comet was first spotted by astronomers in 2017 and should be visible via a small telescope throughout the summer. When Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) was first located, it was 1.49 billion miles (2.4... Read more...
The tail debris from comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, also called SW3, could provide for a spectacular show in the night sky on May 30th and into the early morning of May 31st. However, NASA wants sky-watchers to temper their expectations. SW3 was first detected in 1930 by astronomers Arthur Wachmann and Carl... Read more...
The tau Hercluid meteor shower could provide an epic display in the late night sky at the close of May this year. If predictions come to fruition, the nights of May 30-31st may provide for a rare meteor outburst, or there may simply be nothing at all. The comet responsible for all the hype is... Read more...
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed the largest icy comet nucleus ever detected by astronomers. The comet's nucleus is larger than the state of Rhode Island, to put its size into perspective. The gargantuan comet, C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) has a nucleus that is approximately 50 times larger... Read more...
The night when Santa Claus soars through the air is fast approaching, but there’s something else to see in the evening sky even before that. Comet Leonard is still making its way across the solar system. Under the right conditions, you don’t even need binoculars or a telescope to see it, and in fact it could easily be... Read more...
There's a new neighborhood watch available, courtesy of NASA. This program is, of course, a bit more far-reaching than just who’s cruising down your street though. Through a web-based app, NASA is letting you explore a 3D view of objects in our orbital neighborhood. Twice each day, NASA will update its new Eyes on... Read more...
Comet Leonard is set to debut in the night skies during the first part of December. This will be the first time the comet has been this close in roughly 70,000 years. Stargazers have been seeing a lot of action in the night sky as of late. Just last month the Leonid meteor shower put on a show of shooting stars... Read more...
Microsoft is planning to take action against a UK corporation it claims sold some 94,000 pirated copies of Windows, but the company, British retailer Comet, isn't going down without a fight. Earlier today, Redmond released a statement alleging widespread fraud: "As detailed in the complaint filed today, Comet produced... Read more...