Astronomy

"This was an absolute surprise. It's extremely different from what we expected."

The direction, distance and motion of the comet through the sky during its closest approach could have made it seem like it was hovering over Bethlehem when Jesus was said to have been born.

Smooth filaments stretching for many light-years, seen by the powerful space telescope, could indicate what the right "recipe" is for dark matter.

The interstellar comet will pass safely by Earth, giving astronomers their best chance to study it up close.

"A bit like dinosaurs on Earth — they were enormous and primitive. And they had short lives, living for just a quarter of a million years."

Scientists have created the first detailed maps of the sun's atmospheric boundary, where solar material breaks free and streams into space.

Anomalous amounts of volatile elements found in the Apollo samples brought back from the moon have been traced back to our own planet's leaky atmosphere.

When 3I/ATLAS is closest to the Earth on Dec. 19, all the features that we are looking for will be easier to detect with our telescopes.