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 __________________________________________________________________ [25]< | [26]Archive | [27]Submissions | [28]Index | [29]Search | [30]Calendar | [31]RSS | [32]Education | [33]About APOD | [34]Discuss | [35]> __________________________________________________________________ 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/