Comet C/2026 C1 (Tsuchinshan)
Long-period comet · 1.15 AU from the Sun at closest
First spotted on 11 February 2026 at Purple Mountain Observatory, XuYi Station. Comets carry the name of whoever finds them; this one is named for Tsuchinshan, the observer credited with spotting it. A long-period comet, falling in from the Oort cloud, the far-off shell of comets around the solar system. At its closest it passes 1.15 AU (172 million km) from the Sun, between the orbits of Earth and Mars. At its closest to Earth it is 0.98 AU (147 million km) away. When it was found it was about magnitude 19, far too faint to see without a large telescope.
For the background, read Comets: what they are and how to see one in Comets.
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