ESA's Euclid telescope accidentally discovers new comet C/2026 S1

The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope accidentally discovered comet C/2026 S1 (Euclid) about 1.3 billion km from Earth. Mikko Pöntinen of the University of Helsinki spotted it via motion-detection software while the telescope was imaging distant galaxies outside the ecliptic plane. The long-period comet from the Oort Cloud will reach perihelion in 2027.

• The comet is roughly 1.3 billion km from Earth
• It was found outside the ecliptic while imaging galaxies
• It is a long-period comet originating from the Oort Cloud
• Perihelion is expected in 2027, with the next visit millennia away