Overview
- After emerging from behind the Sun, the first new image was captured on Oct. 31 by Qicheng Zhang using the Lowell Discovery Telescope.
- NASA reports the object is moving at over 210,000 km/h on a non‑capturable trajectory, with perihelion occurring around Oct. 29–30 at roughly 1.36 AU.
- The closest approach to Earth is expected in December at about 270 million kilometers, prompting coordinated observing campaigns without any risk to the planet.
- NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory detected hydroxyl, a chemical signature of water, while other reported composition details remain provisional.
- Observers note an unusually intense blue color and post‑perihelion brightening, and researchers urge caution against non‑natural interpretations pending further data.