The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOIRLab) has released stunning images taken by the Gemini North telescope. They show the disintegration of the nucleus of comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS).
Comet C/2025 K1 ATLAS was discovered in May 2025 by the ATLAS system, a network of robotic telescopes designed to search for small near-Earth objects and warn of possible collisions with Earth. Later, it also discovered the famous interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. That is why the word ATLAS appears in the names of both comets.
C/2025 K1 ATLAS is a long-period comet that traveled from the Oort Cloud, a cluster of icy bodies located at the outer edges of the Solar System. This means that its material had never been exposed to solar radiation before. Apparently, this circumstance determined its fate.
On October 8, C/2025 K1 ATLAS passed the perihelion of its orbit at a distance of 0.33 AU (50 million km) from the Sun. The comet surprised scientists by acquiring a very rare golden color. Subsequent studies revealed that C/2025 K1 ATLAS contains very few carbon-containing molecules, such as dicarbon, carbon monoxide, and cyanide. In the absence of these compounds, light is reflected differently, creating a golden glow effect. This peculiarity in the chemical composition is probably due to the fact that the comet originated in the Oort cloud.
Initially, astronomers believed that due to its fragility and small size, C/2025 K1 ATLAS would not survive perihelion. However, surprisingly to many, the comet passed through it intact. Nevertheless, its encounter with the Sun did not remain without consequences. The impact of its powerful radiation and gravity caused irreparable damage to the nucleus of C/2025 K1 ATLAS.
In November 2025, astronomers discovered that the comet’s nucleus had begun to fragment. This process is captured in the Gemini North images. In the image taken on November 11, 2025, three fragments of the nucleus can be seen, and in the photograph from December 6, there are already four. Their position and brightness changed from night to night, creating a breathtaking celestial spectacle.
You can learn more about the ATLAS system that discovered the comet in our article.
