The Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Discovers 4998th Comet
This annotated movie from the European Space Agency & NASA’s SOHO observatory shows the 4,998th comet discovered by the spacecraft as it speeds toward the Sun on March 23, 2024.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a collaboration between ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA, has identified its 5,000th comet with the assistance of volunteer comet hunters engaged in the NASA-funded Sungrazer Project.
On March 25, 2024, Hanjie Tan from the Czech Republic, a participant in the Sungrazer Project since the age of 13, spotted a sungrazing comet in SOHO images. This comet, part of the "Marsden group" with a brief orbit around the Sun, is relatively small. It is believed to be linked to the larger comet 96P/Machholz, and the group is named in honor of the late scientist Brian Marsden, who initially identified it through SOHO observations.
Credit: ESA/NASA/SOHO/Karl Battams