Euclid space telescope discovers first previously unknown comet
The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope discovered its first previously unknown comet, designated C/2026 S1 (Euclid), in images taken between 16 and 24 September 2026. Mikko Pöntinen of the University of Helsinki, using moving object detection software, identified the comet by detecting a fast-moving streak across multiple images and observing a fuzzy coma indicative of an active comet. The discovery was reported to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which confirmed it as a comet on 8 October. The comet is located approximately 1.3 billion kilometres from Earth, in an orbit between the paths of Jupiter and Saturn that will take thousands of years to complete.
