NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured the rare moment a comet, K1 (C/2025 K1 ATLAS), broke apart while under observation, an event considered extremely unlikely.

The comet, about 5 miles across, began disintegrating roughly eight days before Hubble imaged it from November 8 to 10, 2025.

During the observations, one of K1’s smaller fragments also broke apart, allowing scientists to reconstruct the comet’s breakup timeline.

Hubble’s sharp resolution revealed a mystery: bright outbursts seen from the ground did not occur immediately after the comet fragmented and exposed fresh ice, NASA has reported.

The discovery highlights how unexpected events can lead to valuable scientific insights.