'Halloween' comet ATLAS melts as it approaches the Sun

Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), once expected to become a "Halloween gift" in the sky, officially disintegrated when it reached its closest position to the Sun in its orbit, on October 28.

Initially, astronomers predicted that comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) would become bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. However, since early October, signs of disintegration have emerged, signaling the short-lived fate of the distant icy mass from the edge of the Solar System.

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency, helped capture the comet's final moments.

Previously, on October 23, ATLAS flew past Earth at its closest distance and reached a stellar magnitude of 8.7 – too dim to observe with the naked eye but still within the capabilities of powerful telescopes.

After passing Earth, ATLAS continued to move closer to the Sun, making it increasingly difficult to observe with conventional instruments.

Discovered on September 27 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii, C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) belongs to the Kreutz sungrazers family , a group of comets with special orbits that bring them very close to the Sun every 500 to 800 years.

The Kreutz family of comets are believed to be fragments of a large comet that disintegrated thousands of years ago. The first "sungrazer" comets have been recorded as early as 317 BC.

Comet ATLAS burns up as it flies into the Sun.

Like other comets, ATLAS is a 'dirty snowball,' containing gas, rock and dust – primordial remnants from the formation of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago.

Comets have different orbital periods, ranging from a few years to millions of years. For example, Halley's Comet – one of the most famous comets – completes an orbit every 75 years, while Encke's Comet only takes about 3.3 years.

Another comet, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) , survived its close approach to the Sun on September 27 and has been shining brightly in the October sky, attracting the attention of astronomy enthusiasts around the world.