Overview
- Closest approach occurs on December 19 at roughly 1.8 AU (about 270 million km) from Earth, and agencies reiterate there is no impact threat.
- Hubble and ESA releases show a bright coma with indications of both a plasma tail and a fainter dust tail, confirming sustained activity after perihelion.
- Atacama Compact Array measurements report methanol at about 8% of vapor output (~40 kg/s) and hydrogen cyanide at 0.25–0.5 kg/s, pointing to atypical abundance ratios.
- Observations document a 16.16-hour brightness pulse consistent with rhythmic jets; speculative claims remain unconfirmed, and NASA and ESA describe a natural comet.
- ESA’s JUICE observed the object with five instruments and shared a preliminary NavCam view, with full instrument data expected to reach Earth in late February 2026.