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Hubble Discovers Comet 41P Reverses Rotation for First Time

3/27/2026

Summary

Story summary

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope observed comet 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák slow its rotation and then reverse direction, a first in comet studies.
Initially the rotation period was 46–60 hours, but after its 2017 perihelion, it shortened to about 14 hours.
David Jewitt, a planetary scientist, explained that uneven gas jets acted like thrusters and altered the spin.
The comet's activity has declined since its 2001 perihelion, suggesting rapid evolutionary changes.

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Story summary

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope observed comet 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák slow its rotation and then reverse direction, a first in comet studies.
Initially the rotation period was 46–60 hours, but after its 2017 perihelion, it shortened to about 14 hours.
David Jewitt, a planetary scientist, explained that uneven gas jets acted like thrusters and altered the spin.
The comet's activity has declined since its 2001 perihelion, suggesting rapid evolutionary changes.