Asteroid P/2013 R3 Breaking Up: Part 1
This series of Hubble Space Telescope photos captures a rare event in action, the breakup of asteroid P/2013 R3 as it happened in 2013 and 2014. HERE: This photo from Hubble shows the rare sight of the asteroid P/2013 R3 breaking apart. This image, the first in a series, was taken on Oct. 29, 2013. [Read the Full Story and See Video of the Asteroid Breakup]
Asteroid P/2013 R3 Breaking Apart
This series of images shows the asteroid P/2013 R3 breaking apart, as viewed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in 2013. This is the first time that such a body has been seen to undergo this kind of break-up. This image was released March 6, 2014. [Read the Full Story and See Video of the Asteroid Breakup]
Asteroid P/2013 R3 Breaking Up: Part 2
This photo from the Hubble Space Telescope shows the rare sight of the asteroid P/2013 R3 breaking apart. This image, the second in a series, was taken on Nov. 15, 2013. Image released March 6, 2014. [Read the Full Story and See Video of the Asteroid Breakup]
Asteroid P/2013 R3 Breaking Up: Part 3
This photo from the Hubble Space Telescope shows the rare sight of the asteroid P/2013 R3 breaking apart. This image, the third in a series, was taken on Dec. 13, 2013. Image released March 6, 2014. [Read the Full Story and See Video of the Asteroid Breakup]
Asteroid P/2013 R3 Breaking Up: Part 4
This photo from the Hubble Space Telescope shows the rare sight of the asteroid P/2013 R3 breaking apart. This image, the fourth in a series, was taken on Jan. 14, 2014. Image released March 6, 2014. [Read the Full Story and See Video of the Asteroid Breakup]
Disintegrating Asteroid P/2013 R3 Illustration
This illustration shows one possible explanation for the disintegration of asteroid P/2013 R3. [Read the Full Story and See Video of the Asteroid Breakup]
Icon in Space
Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope, now in its 24th year in orbit, to see asteroid P/2013 R3 breaking apart in 2013 and 2014.