NASA's Hubble telescope spots K1 comet exploding into fragments, space agency says
New York Post • • general
Key Points:
- NASA’s Hubble telescope captured a rare event of comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) breaking into at least four fragments between November 8 and 10, shortly after its closest approach to the sun.
- The comet’s icy nucleus was seen surrounded by a fuzzy envelope of gas and dust, providing unique insights into its composition and the effects of solar heating.
- Researchers noted the extraordinary luck of observing the fragmentation, as Hubble is rarely scheduled to capture such transient cometary events.
- Studying the breakup allows scientists to examine the comet’s primordial materials, shedding light on the early solar system and the comet’s evolutionary history.
- The fragments are now drifting about 250 million miles away in the constellation Pisces
