Overview
- The anti-tail seen earlier in the apparition vanished in early November and was replaced by a long conventional tail now estimated at more than 56,000 kilometers, alongside roughly 13% mass loss after perihelion and signs of anomalous acceleration.
- Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope reported a shift toward blue tones thought to relate to ionized carbon monoxide, extreme light polarization, and abrupt nucleus activity changes that challenge standard sublimation models.
- NASA reiterated there is no impact hazard, with the closest approach projected at about 1.8 AU—roughly 270 million kilometers—on December 19, according to the European Space Agency.
- Despite viral claims, no planetary-defense alert was activated; instead, the UN-affiliated International Asteroid Warning Network is leading a routine astrometric campaign to refine the object’s orbit, brightness and activity.
- NASA addressed complaints about blurry imagery, noting that instruments such as HiRISE and MAVEN were opportunistically retargeted and are not optimized for distant, fast-moving comets, though better views are expected near closest approach.