[REVISION HISTORY]

Euclid telescope discovery of comet C/2026 S1

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-24 14:06 UTC → 2026-10-26 15:52 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope, primarily designed to study dark matter and dark energy, has discovered a new comet designated C/2026 S1 (Euclid). The object was identified through deep-sky images captured between September 16 and 24, 2026, in the Euclid Deep Field North. The discovery was facilitated by specialized moving object detection software developed by Mikko Pöntinen of the University of Helsinki and the Euclid Consortium’s Solar System objects working group. Because the telescope utilizes a ‘step-and-stare’ method, moving objects typically appear as faint light trails. The software flagged a streak that was later confirmed to possess a fuzzy cloud of dust and gas, indicating cometary activity. Following the initial detection, the findings were reported to the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, and ground-based observations confirmed the discovery on October 8. According to the Minor Planet Center, the comet is located approximately 1.3 billion kilometres from Earth, positioned between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. It possesses an orbital inclination of about 85 degrees and a revolution period exceeding 300,000 years. ESA noted that this accidental discovery serves as a valuable test for future coordination with the upcoming ‘Comet Interceptor’ mission. The finding is particularly notable because Euclid is not specifically designed for comet hunting; the mission typically avoids areas of the sky with high solar system dust to maintain deep, stable images of distant galaxies.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.