The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
The ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, SOHO, detected its 3000th comet on 14 September 2015, seen as the dot in the crosshairs in the inset heading towards the Sun (left). It was spotted by Worachate Boonplod of Samut Songkhram, Thailand.
SOHO was launched in 1995 to observe the Sun and its stormy atmosphere, and the flow of the solar wind out into interplanetary space. The telescope’s prowess as a comet-hunter, however, was unplanned, but turned out to be an unexpected success. With its clear view of the Sun’s surroundings, SOHO can easily spot a special kind of comet called a sungrazer – so-called because of their close approach to the Sun.
Around 95% of SOHO comets have been found by ‘citizen scientists’ thanks to the SOHO data being publicly available online in near-real time.
Full story: ESA/NASA solar observatory discovers its 3000th comet.