Hubble Sees Comet ATLAS Split into Four Fragments
NASA/ESA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) breaking into four fragments just after its perihelion, each surrounded by its own coma. The near-simultaneous breakup provides a rare, nearly pristine sample to study the comet’s composition and the physics of fragmentation and dust-layer formation, offering insights into how icy bodies evolve in the solar system. Observations were made in early November 2025 from about 250 million miles away, and scientists highlighted the serendipitous timing as a reminder that unexpected results can drive breakthrough science.
