A comet twice as large as Jupiter briefly appeared in our sky
In short: Past Mars, a celestial body exceeding Jupiter's diameter by over three times emerged during August 2026. This wasn't a new planet, but a sudden, violent eruption from a comet that had remained nearly invisible for two decades.
The object was 220P/McNaught, a Jupiter-family comet first discovered in 2004. After spending over 20 years in obscurity, it underwent a massive brightening in June 2026, followed by a second eruption just ten weeks later. These outbursts created a cloud of gas and dust stretching roughly 470,000 kilometers across.
The mystery lies in the chemistry: the two eruptions released different materials. Astronomers suggest these distinct explosions may have briefly exposed two different layers of matter preserved since the early Solar System. While the enormous coma has already faded, the cause of these specific double outbursts remains a subject of active study.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Something 3x Wider Than Jupiter Appeared Just Past Mars
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