‘Halloween Comet’ Breaks Apart After Flying Close to Sun

Comet Atlas, nicknamed the “Halloween comet,” approaching its closest to the sun, in October 2024, as seen in this real-time image from NASA’s orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. NASA via AP

A recently discovered comet that some stargazers had hoped to see during Halloween week has disintegrated before the day of ghosts and ghouls.

NASA confirmed Tuesday its sun-observing spacecraft captured the moment when the comet Atlas broke into chunks this week as it passed close to the sun.