The “other” comet ATLAS fragmented into a cloud of debris that shot into space, new observations have shown.
The comet named C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)was discovered in May by astronomers in the Asteroid Last Alert System (ATLAS) and passed perihelion, or its closest point to the Sun, on October 8. It has nothing to do with the famous asteroid. interstellar comet 3I/ATLASexcept that it was discovered by the same network of telescopes around the same time.
However, new observations taken by astronomer Gianluca Masi in Manciano, Italy, show that the gravitational stress during its journey around the Sun was too strong for the comet, causing it to break up into several pieces or clouds.
“Several pieces (subnuclei or debris clouds) are visible, as well as a plume just below the leading (first from the left) fragment.” Masiastronomer of the Astronomical Observatory of Campo Catino and founder Virtual telescope projectwrote to update.
The collapse of C/2025 K1 was foreshadowed sudden enlightenment around perihelion, during which the comet changed from the greenish tint seen in many comets that pass close to our Sun (caused by the presence of diatomic carbon, which fluoresces in sunlight), to striped gold ribbon.
The reason for this transformation is unclear; some scientists speculate that the color change has something to do with the relative absence of carbon-containing molecules in the comet's coma (the cloud of ice, gas and dust around the comet's body).
If you want to see the exploding comet with your own eyes, look in the constellation Leo, where it shines with a magnitude of 9.9. according to Sky Live. (In astronomy, a lower magnitude corresponds to a brighter object; for example, Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, has an apparent magnitude of about 1.35.) Although the comet is still too faint to be seen with the naked eye, it can be detected with a telescope. good telescope or a couple binoculars for stargazing.
Whatever remains of the comet should pass closest to Earth on November 25th. It will pass at a distance of about 37 million miles (60 million km), or just under half the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.
