First picture of the comet's death

The death of a comet falling straight into the sun was recorded by scientists for the first time.

Comet rushes straight into the sun. Photo: NASA / SDO / AIA.

The image was taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observator (SDO), a satellite orbiting the earth tasked with studying the sun. An SDO official said the observatory had discovered that the comet had gradually shrunk and melted in 15 minutes before it crashed into the sun on July 6.

" With the high temperatures and large radiation of the sun, comets have evaporated completely, " Space.com said yesterday.

Comets are very close to the sun, but this is the first time scientists have observed the real image before it disappears.

Such comets rotate in orbit very close to the sun, called comets Kreutz by the 19th century astronomer Heinrich Kreutz was the first to discover the connection between comets and the sun.

Comets were born when mountain-like pieces of ice, rock and dust gathered in cold areas lying far away from the sun. Astronomers are very interested in studying comets because they can be left behind after the formation of the solar system. In the solar system, comets are celestial bodies born very early.