The unique rocky comet C/2014 S3 (PANSTARRS)

Observations with ESO’s Very Large Telescope, and the Canada France Hawai`i Telescope, show that C/2014 S3 (PANSTARRS) is the first object to be discovered that is on a long-period cometary orbit, but that has the characteristics of a pristine inner Solar System asteroid. It may provide important clues about how the Solar System formed.

This image of the comet was acquired using the Canada France Hawai`i Telescope.