Simply as the mythological Icarus melted his plumes and wax wings when he flew too near the sun, comets typically suffer the effects of orbiting too near our star. That was absolutely the case for Comet C/2025 K1(ATLAS ), which was captured disintegrating by the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, late in 2015.

As it approached its closest indicate the sun on Oct. 8, 2025, at simply 31 million miles (50 million kilometers), hopes were low for the ball of ice and dust to endure; comets that withstand a close method to the sun frequently lighten up considerably later, as their element ices sublimate into gas. Remarkably, Comet K1 emerged from behind the sun undamaged, however it never ever lightened up enough to be seen with the naked eye.

In early November, the comet’s nucleus started to separate. This is not uncommon for comets; extreme solar heating triggers the nucleus to launch jets of gas and dust– called outgassing– which integrates with gravitational forces from the sun to deteriorate the comet’s structure. The majority of comets either make it through or never ever emerge from behind the sun, however Comet K1 did– and in simply the best location for telescopes throughout the world to image its incredible separation.

A zoomable variation of Gemini North”s image clearly shows three fragments.

Another high-stakes encounter with the sun might quickly follow the remarkable disintegration of Comet K1Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS), a “Kreutz sungrazer comet” found Jan. 13, is now speeding towards the sun and will make a perilously close hand down April 4, when it gets within 465,000 miles (748,000 kilometers) of the sun’s surface area.

If it endures that harmful encounter, some astronomers forecast the comet might reach magnitude -4, about the very same brightness as Venus. That would be an amazing sight, however like Comet K1, Comet A1 will need to deal with searing heat and extreme gravity and might either blaze remarkably or catch the sun’s fury.