Manx name for no-tail comet

Salute to the rock from space!

A new class of celestial body has been named after the Isle of Man by its discoverers.

A team from the University of Hawaii spotted a dark, rocky asteroid in an orbit around the sun that had a stubby tail made of dust.

C/2014 S3 was spotted 18 months ago by the Pan-STARRS telescope, and researchers were struck by its lack of a bright tail.

Karen Meech from the university says they were faced with calling it a 'potentially dead comet' – until one of her team nicknamed it a 'Manx comet' after the tailless cat.