Comets

Avalanches may have triggered the jets of material spewing from Comet Hartley 2.

Avalanches on Comets May Help Make the Icy Bodies Visible

Tumbling rocks may have lit up Comet Hartley 2, allowing its discovery in 1986

Amateur Astronomers Capture an Asteroid or Comet Colliding With Jupiter

The object recently exploded in the atmosphere of the solar system's largest planet

The green object is the comet 252P/LINEAR as it passed by the Larger Megellanic Cloud.

A Pair of Comets Are Making a Record-Breaking Pass by Earth

This is the closest a comet has come in 246 years

An artist's impression of Philae's landing on Comet 67P. Philae is the small craft beneath the Rosetta orbiter. It detached from Rosetta and landed on the comet on November 12, 2014. Now it may be out of contact forever.

Scientists Are Trying to Get in Touch With Philae One Last Time

As Comet 67P hurtles further and further away, it's taking the 'little lander that could' along with it

Geminid meteors streak across the sky behind a barn in western Iowa.

Catch a Glimpse of the Comet Catalina and the Geminid Meteor Shower

The meteor shower peaks next week as comet Catalina gets closer throughout the month

Wide-angle view of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko taken by OSIRIS on 12 September 2014

Watch the Philae Lander's Bouncing Touch Down on Comet 67P

A year after its crash-landing, researchers reflect on the unexpected successes of the mission

Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) on 12 February 2015

Comet Lovejoy is One Boozy Space Rock

The greenish comet that lit up the sky last January releases as much alcohol as 500 bottles of wine every second during its peak

The Orionid Meteor Shower and Rare Planetary “Dance” Make This a Lucky Week for Stargazers

Here’s what the night sky has to offer this week

The Draconid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week

Clear skies and little moonlight make for great meteor watching

Watch the Perseids Peak This Week

Summer's stunning meteor shower is sure to please stargazers

Philae snapped this image of 67P over a mile from the comet's surface.

Philae Proves There's More to Comets Than Dust and Ice

The lander found organic compounds on comet 67P

A composite image of the Philae lander on comet 67P.

Comet Lander Philae Wakes Up From Nap

"Are you there, Rosetta? It's me Philae"

Part of the comet's smaller lobe from about 8 km above the surface

Rosetta’s Comet Close-Ups Reveal Goosebumps And Very Little Ice

Rosetta is watching for changes as the double-lobed comet approaches the sun

Ten years ago this week, the Huygens probe gave scientists a first look at the icy surface beneath the haze of Saturn's moon Titan.

Best Space Photos of the Week: From Solar Flares to Saturn's Moons

A spitting sun, a well-loved lake and a happy accident on Mars star in this week's best space images

A composite image made in Payson, Arizona, on December 28 shows Comet Lovejoy as it seemed to pass a globular cluster of stars called Messier 79.

How to See This Green Comet With the Naked Eye

The "New Year's Comet" is taking astronomers by storm with an unexpected showing, and it should only get brighter through early January

An artist's interpretation of the Philae lander separating from Rosetta and landing on the comet.

The Philae Spacecraft Confirmed the Presence of Organic Molecules on the Comet it Landed On

Researchers hope the finding sheds light on how organic molecules might have first arrived on Earth

Philae's ancestor, the original Apollo lunar lander.

We Fall in Love With Space Robots Because They Act Like Animals

Like pets, wires and chips can appear to act with intention

One of the Philae Lander's feet is visible in this snapshot from the comet's surface.

Philae Is Now Asleep

The lander’s solar panels aren’t getting enough light and the batteries will die, but we already have some fantastic images and data

Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera captured this parting shot of the Philae lander after separation and before touchdown.

Comet 67P Has a Welcome Song for Rosetta And Philae

A successful touchdown after the comet chase is just the herald of more discoveries to come, including the cause of the comet's strange song

Tomorrow, a Man-made Spacecraft Will Land On a Comet for the First Time, Ever

The action starts bright and early

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