A comet discovered earlier this year continues to break apart after its close brush with the sun this month.

Astronomer Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project captured breathtaking imagery of solar system comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) as its central icy core, or nucleus, appears to have broken into multiple pieces after being warmed by the sun. The comet made its closest approach to the sun on Oct. 8, and astronomers captured images following the solar flyby that appear to show it dramatically breaking apart.

These most recent images seem to confirm that, as multiple distinct fragments can be seen. The images appear to show "three fragments of the original nucleus and possibly a fourth one," Masi wrote in a statement accompanying the images.

Masi captured the images over the past week

See Full Page