Comets

An artist’s conception of a distant Solar System Planet X, which could be shaping the orbits of smaller extremely distant outer solar system objects like 2015 TG387.

New Discovery Stirs Up Signs of the Elusive Planet 9

A new minor planet called "the Goblin" is the second most distant known object in the solar system

Illustration of Sedna, a minor planet with an unusual orbit.

Is the Mysterious Planet Nine Just a Swarm of Asteroids?

Researchers investigate alternative explanations for wacky orbits of objects in our solar system

Pluto, and its largest moon Charon, as seen from the New Horizons spacecraft.

Is Pluto Actually a Mash-up of a Billion Comets?

Researchers speculate the beloved dwarf planet could actually be a giant comet

Comet "Snowstorm" Swirling in This Stunning GIF Is a Tricky Illusion

“Things are not quite as they seem," explains astronomer Mark McCaughrean

How to Catch a Glimpse of This Weekend's Lyrid Meteor Shower

Conditions are expected to be favorable, and experts say the shower might produce as many as 18 meteors every hour

70,000 Years Ago, a Passing Star Shook Up Our Solar System

The red dwarf likely came within one light-year of the sun, altering the course of some asteroids and comets

Artists rendering of the Dragonfly craft exploring Titan

NASA Unveils Finalists for Its Next New Frontiers Mission

In 2025, the agency will either try to grab a piece of a comet or send a space-helicopter drone to the surface of Saturn's moon Titan

Artists rendering of ‘Oumuamua

Unusual Interstellar Visitor Could Be Shard of Ice

A new study of ‘Oumuamua suggests it's water ice covered with 20 inches of dry carbon compounds

A Leonid meteor in 2009

Leonid Meteor Shower Will Streak Through Skies This Weekend

Expect 10 to 25 shooting stars per hour as the planet passes through the debris of comet Tempel-Tuttle

NASA's Halloween playlist captures the sounds of the solar system

Celebrate Halloween With These Unsettling Sounds From Outer Space

NASA's new SoundCloud playlist captures the sounds of planets, comets and plasma waves

An Orionid meteor

Look Up: The Orionid Meteor Shower Will Streak Through Skies This Weekend

Bits of Halley's Comet are raining down on Earth, and the show will peak in the wee hours of Saturday morning

Rosetta's last image, a 11-foot square area of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Scientists Discover One Last Image From the Rosetta Mission

The probe sent partial data for the photo before it crash landed on a comet September 30, 2016

Artist's impression of 288P

Hubble Spots Strange Pair of Space Rocks in the Night Sky

The duo, dubbed 288P, may help scientists better understand asteroid evolution

Geek Out to This Asteroid Day Livestream

For 24 hours a YouTube channel will host discussions on space rocks and their potential impacts on Earth

Shortly after the announcement of the TRAPPIST-1 system, NASA crowdsourced its Twitter followers for possible planet names. The actual process of naming new planets, however, is a bit more involved.

How Do New Planets Get Their Names?

Sorry, Planet McPlanetface: Asteroids, moons and other celestial bodies go through a strict set of international naming guidelines

Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková during its last pass in 2011

A Comet, Eclipse and a Full Moon Will Light Up the Skies Friday Night

There will be a lot going on in the night sky, including a pass by the green comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková

CAMS results for November 28 to December 14 from 2010 to 2016. Each point is direction from which a meteor was measured to approach, with red showing faster meteors and blue slower ones.

Introducing the Global Effort to Map the Night Sky

How astronomers around the world are piecing together a patchwork quilt of celestial activity

Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková as seen in October 2011

Fireworks Not Your Thing? Then Look Out For a Comet on New Year’s Eve

With a telescope in hand, you can watch a comet zoom past the Earth tomorrow night

Never Fear, an Oceanic Asteroid Impact Wouldn’t Cause Apocalyptic Tidal Waves

But it could have long-term effects on the climate

Illustration of NASA's 2005 Deep Impact mission

Scientist Warns We're Unprepared for a Comet Strike

NASA researcher Joseph Nuth proposes that we build and store two spacecraft to deal with potential comet or asteroid strikes

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