NASA researchers have found that a space object long believed to be a near-Earth asteroid is actually something far less typical. According to the recent study, the object known as 1998 SH2 is now being classified as a "dark comet," not an asteroid.
1998 SH2 was first identified in 1998 and had been treated as an asteroid for years. The new finding changes that label and highlights how some small bodies in space can remain misunderstood long after they are discovered.
The study points to 1998 SH2 as an unusual kind of object, adding to the growing interest in rare bodies that do not fit neatly into traditional categories. By reclassifying it as a dark comet, NASA is drawing attention to a class of objects that may be harder to recognize than ordinary comets or asteroids.
The discovery also underscores how scientific understanding can shift as researchers revisit older observations with new analysis. In this case, a near-Earth object known for decades is now offering a different picture of what may be moving through the solar system.
