Overview
- A partial NavCam frame from ESA’s JUICE shows a bright coma and a hint of both plasma and dust tails from images taken November 2, two days before closest approach at about 66 million kilometers.
- JUICE activated five instruments for the campaign, with datasets scheduled to arrive on Earth February 18–20, 2026 due to the probe using its high‑gain antenna as a heat shield.
- Hubble’s November 30 observations provide refined views that help constrain nucleus size, activity levels, and trajectory as NASA affirms a hyperbolic, unbound path.
- NASA, ESA, JWST, Mars orbiters, and ground telescopes continue coordinated monitoring to assess composition and outgassing behavior consistent with a comet.
- Public claims of artificial origin and unverified reports of defense drills have circulated, but space agencies report no technosignatures and maintain a natural explanation, with a distant Earth pass expected December 19 and a key Jupiter observation window in March 2026.