Comet ATLAS Disintegrates After Dazzling Solar Encounter
The comet, which reached its closest approach to the Sun earlier this month, provided a rare visual spectacle before breaking apart under intense solar radiation.
- Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) came within 8 million miles of the Sun on January 13, glowing nearly as brightly as Venus during its closest approach.
- The ESA and NASA's SOHO spacecraft captured detailed images of the comet using its LASCO instrument, revealing its luminous head and dramatic tail.
- The comet's interaction with the solar wind offered scientists valuable insights into solar activity and the behavior of cometary tails in extreme environments.
- Astrophotographers and observers, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, documented the comet's spectacular tail before signs of disintegration were detected.
- Experts suggest the intense heat and radiation from the Sun caused thermal stress, leading to the comet's fragmentation shortly after its perihelion.
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