Tune in on Nov. 24 to watch live telescopic views of the fractured comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), which recently broke into multiple large pieces following a close brush with the sun.
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) was discovered barrelling towards the sun on May 24, 2025 and is believed to have originated from the Oort cloud — a frozen shell made up of billions of icy bodies that surrounds the solar system.
The comet reached perihelion, its closest approach to the sun, on Oct. 8, when it passed just 31 million miles (50 million kilometers) from our star. On the night of Nov. 11, astronomers watched as the object dramatically fractured into at least three large pieces, likely as a result of the intense heating it absorbed at perihelion, which may have undermined the structural stability of its central nucleus.
The Sony A7R IV is a superb choice for capturing the night sky, featuring a 61-megapixel sensor which excels in low-light conditions. Check out our Sony a7R IV review for a closer look.
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is not in any way related to the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which was confirmed in July to be just the third body to visit our solar system. Rather, the shared "ATLAS" designation stems from the fact that they were both found by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) program.
The fractured comet is currently too dim to be seen by the naked eye, but can still be spotted with the aid of a small backyard telescope close to the stars of the famous Big Dipper asterism in the constellation Ursa Major, or captured in long exposure photography! Astrophotographers should check out our guide detailing how to image comets, along with our roundups of the best lenses and cameras for capturing the night sky and the best deals available in the run up to Black Friday 2025.
Editor's Note: If you capture an image of comet K1 ATLAS with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
