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
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A view of Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) obtained with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on 23 April 2020.
The comet was first discovered in December 2019 by the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) collaboration, and its fragmentation was confirmed in April 2020. Hubble has provided astronomers with the sharpest view yet of the comet breakup, resolving roughly 25 fragments of the comet in this image.
In May 2020, studies indicated that ESA’s Solar Orbiter would serendipitously cross through the tails of Comet ATLAS on 31 May–1 June (ion tail) and 6 June (dust tail).
Full story: Solar Orbiter to pass through the tails of Comet ATLAS