Comet 220P, a periodic comet with a five‑year orbit between Mars and Jupiter, appeared unusually bright on August 24, 2026, as captured in a long‑duration exposure taken from South Africa ten days earlier. The comet, normally too faint to be seen without a telescope, was about 20,000 times brighter than usual and became visible with binoculars. Two outbursts earlier in the year produced similar increases in brightness. The outburst may have resulted from the release of built‑up subsurface gas or from comet quakes, but the exact cause has not been determined. The comet will pass roughly one astronomical unit from Earth in October before returning to the outer region of its orbit, where it is expected to dim quickly. NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) published the image and description.