Comet K1/Atlas has broken apart, not interstellar Comet 3I/Atlas
CORRECTION: The image to the right is not that of interstellar Comet 3I/Atlas, as I reported earlier today. I misread the Gemini Telescope release. This is comet K1/Atlas, another comet from our own solar system that made its close approach to the Sun in October, when it broke up.
The the latest image from the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii shows at least four sections slowly drifting apart.
The picture to the right, cropped to post here, was taken on December 6, 2025. Gemini’s previous image, taken in November 11th, shows about the same number of objects, but clustered much more closely together.
It appears that as the comet made its closest approach, the stress was too great. This is not surprising, as it happens to many comets that get too close to the Sun.
Sorry for the error and hat tip to reader Tom Laskowski for letting me know. I need to look at the names of comets named after the ATLAS telescope, as they are very similar and most are NOT interstellar comet 3I/Atlas.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
CORRECTION: The image to the right is not that of interstellar Comet 3I/Atlas, as I reported earlier today. I misread the Gemini Telescope release. This is comet K1/Atlas, another comet from our own solar system that made its close approach to the Sun in October, when it broke up.
The the latest image from the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii shows at least four sections slowly drifting apart.
The picture to the right, cropped to post here, was taken on December 6, 2025. Gemini’s previous image, taken in November 11th, shows about the same number of objects, but clustered much more closely together.
It appears that as the comet made its closest approach, the stress was too great. This is not surprising, as it happens to many comets that get too close to the Sun.
Sorry for the error and hat tip to reader Tom Laskowski for letting me know. I need to look at the names of comets named after the ATLAS telescope, as they are very similar and most are NOT interstellar comet 3I/Atlas.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News



Gah! Aliens in distress! We must organize a rescue mission soonest!
Which one, is the Mothership?
Why does the link to the latest image show C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)? I did get to observe 3I/ATLAS back in November but we’re having a brutal winter which pretty much shut down my ovserving.
Tom Laskowsik: You have spotted a major error by me. I misread these images, thinking there were of 3I/Atlas, when they are K1/Atlas. I must fix.
here is a good graphic showing the path the comet has taken through our solar system. Kind of sad it had to break apart.
https://www.planetary.org/space-images/3i-atlass-trajectory-through-our-solar-system
Steve Richter: Refresh your browser. I just rewrote the post because I misidentified the comet in question. It is not interstellar comet 3I/Atlas.
From a link to the link;
“C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) originated in the Oort cloud and surprisingly survived its closest approach to the Sun in October 2025. But now that it has experienced the intense heat and gravity of the Sun, it’s struggling to hold together”