The "once-in-a-lifetime" comet that recently lit up night skies for the first time in millennia might be falling apart after being singed as it slingshotted around the sun, new photos suggest. However, it is too early to tell for sure.
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) made its closest approach to Earth on Jan. 14 and reached its minimum distance from the sun, known as perihelion, a day later. As a result, it shone as bright as Venus for several days and was visible across the globe. It has now begun its long journey back to the Oort Cloud — a reservoir of comets and other icy objects near the edge of the solar system — and is not expected to return for around 160,000 years.
