We have known for a while that asteroid 3200 Phaethon acts like a comet. It brightens and forms a tail when it's near the Sun, and it is the source of the annual Geminid meteor shower, even though ...

Comets aren't the only celestial object that can carve a stunning tail across the sky, as pictures snapped of Mercury as it passed close to the sun show a long tail dragging out behind the planet. The ...

Researchers are asking amateur astronomers to help photograph the broken tail of a comet on track to pass by Earth this spring. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...

Mercury's comet-like tail is made predominantly of sodium ions. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Mercury has been spotted ...

An intriguing new celestial object known as Comet Nishimura is enduring a bumpy ride through the inner solar system despite having its tail torn off by an outburst from the sun. Japanese amateur ...

C/2022 E3 (ZTF), a comet that has recently made headlines as it flies closer to Earth, briefly developed an ethereal third tail thanks to a weird optical illusion. When you purchase through links on ...

The crisp fall night skies will be lit up with streaks of light and color during the Orionid meteor shower this month. Set to peak on Oct. 21-22 and continue through early November, Earth will ...

New photos of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS appear to show a faint "anti-tail" pointing away in the wrong direction. The puzzling extra limb is the result of a rare illusion that is only possible when our ...

The "comet of the century" Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has been delighting stargazers after reaching its closest point to Earth in more than 80,000 years over the weekend. The brightest comet to ...

Scientists thought asteroid Phaethon, which is the source of the Geminid meteor shower, was shedding dust to form a comet-like tail, but NASA solar observatories show the tail isn't dusty. A weird ...