Overview

• A JWST NIRSpec preprint from the August 6 observation reports a carbon dioxide–dominated coma with a CO2/H2O ratio of about 8:1, plus detections of H2O, CO, OCS, water ice, and dust with sunward outgassing.
• SPHEREx observations from August 7–15, supported by IRTF, independently find abundant CO2 and a bright, extended coma, reinforcing that most observed brightness arises from surrounding dust and gas.
• Combined analyses revise the nucleus to be much smaller than early impressions, with researchers emphasizing that the coma dominates the apparent size and light of the object.
• Astronomers report a hyperbolic trajectory with no impact risk, with the comet staying roughly 1.6–1.8 AU or more from Earth as teams plan further observations through perihelion.
• Most researchers conclude the object is a natural, unusually CO2-rich comet, while a minority public claim of an artificial origin remains unsubstantiated by the multi-telescope data.