G3 has mesmerized astronomers and amateur skygazers for months as the world tried to spot the bright comet in the sky nearing its fatal encounter with the Sun.
Astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences first spotted the comet on Jan. 5. The IAU's Minor Planet Center confirmed the discovery on Thursday and designated ...
G3 ATLAS is believed to be an old comet, having made at least one previous close approach to the sun, with an orbital period of roughly 160,000 years. It reached its peak brilliance this week ...