Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) came within 8.3 million miles of the sun on January 13 as it reached its perihelion, and is now disintegrating.

In the photo from the space station, the comet is captured just above Earth’s horizon, which is illuminated by a bright light — also known as airglow — that occurs in the planet’s upper atmosphere when atoms and molecules emit light after being excited by sunlight.

The asteroid, dubbed 2024 YR4, was detected by NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System on Dec. 27, 2024. According to researchers, it has about a 1-in-83 chance of impacting our planet in 2032.

G3 (ATLAS) is one of the few comets on record that became bright enough to be visible in the daytime without optical aid like binoculars or a telescope.

G3 (ATLAS) showed off its spectacular tail plumage to NASA spacecraft when it flew close to the sun this month.

BS4 may be anywhere between 17 and 40 feet across, and will approach at about twice the distance between the Earth and moon.

This comet, named ATLAS after the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System that discovered it, reached an extraordinary brightness. It shone as brightly as Venus, making it visible to the naked eye first in the northern hemisphere until mid January then in the south afterwards.

Experts think the comet started breaking up last week, but it's still putting on a show for star gazers for a few more days.

This week, NASA published images of a comet surging a close path to the sun and a few epic 'post cards from the planets taken by NASA’s robotic explorers. NASA caught images from the comet C ...

Comet ATLAS brightens as it nears the Sun, providing scientists with valuable data on solar wind interactions and offering a rare celestial spectacle.

Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) was spotted by the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft 'Something the overwhelming majority of Americans support': House passes Laken Riley Act