Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) fractures in the Sun’s glare, captured by Gemini North

Discovered in May 2025 by ATLAS, Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) was photographed by the Gemini North telescope breaking apart as it emerged from behind the Sun in Oct 2025. By early November its nucleus had fragmented into at least three pieces, a fate not uncommon for sun‑baked comets. The event, part of Live Science’s Space Photo of the Week coverage, underscores the volatile survival of comets near perihelion and foreshadows another sungrazer, 3I/ATLAS MAPS, potentially facing a similar solar encounter.