Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2025 February 2
    [2]A series of comet images is shown. On the far left the image shows
   Comet G3 ATLAS with a bright central concentration at its head near the
    bottom of the frame. By the far right, this central concentration is
   nearly gone. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                        Comet G3 ATLAS Disintegrates
                       Image Credit: [3]Lionel Majzik

   Explanation: What's happening to Comet G3 ATLAS? After [4]passing near
   the Sun in mid-January, the head of the comet has become dimmer and
   dimmer. By late January, Comet [5]C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) had become a
   [6]headless wonder -- even though it continued to show [7]impressive
   [8]tails after sunset in the skies of [9]Earth's [10]Southern
   Hemisphere. Pictured are images of Comet G3 ATLAS on successive January
   nights taken from [11]Río Hurtado, [12]Chile. Clearly, the comet's head
   is brighter and more [13]centrally condensed on the earlier days (left)
   than on later days (right). A key reason is likely that the [14]comet's
   nucleus of ice and rock, at the [15]head's center, has [16]fragmented.
   Comet G3 ATLAS passed [17]well inside the orbit of [18]planet Mercury
   when at its solar closest, a distance that where heat [19]destroys
   [20]many [21]comets. Some of comet G3 ATLAS' [22]scattering remains
   will continue to [23]orbit the Sun.

                         Gallery: [24]Comet G3 ATLAS
                 Tomorrow's picture: star-sized wind machine
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([39]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [40]Specific rights apply.
            [41]NASA Web Privacy, [42]Accessibility, [43]Notices;
                A service of: [44]ASD at [45]NASA / [46]GSFC,
                         [47]NASA Science Activation
                           & [48]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2502/AtlasDisintegrating_Majzik_3600.jpg
   3. https://www.lionelmajzik.com/about
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250120.html
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2024_G3_(ATLAS)
   6. https://www.newsweek.com/comet-atlas-disintegrating-brightest-solar-system-sun-2017615
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250124.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250126.html
   9. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Hemisphere
  11. https://youtu.be/a5jUyVPIDAk
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile
  13. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https://i.redd.it/jvtxke42851c1.jpg
  14. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/
  15. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/anatomy-of-a-comet.en.jpg
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230903.html
  17. https://theskylive.com/c2024g3-info
  18. https://science.nasa.gov/mercury/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010521.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000808.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000913.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230903.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240811.html
  24. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.600449002683681&type=3
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250201.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  31. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  34. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250202
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250203.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  44. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  47. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  48. http://www.mtu.edu/