solar orbiter

  • Physicists Get a Unique View of a Destroyed Comet

    Physicists Get a Unique View of a Destroyed Comet

    When C/2019 Y4 ATLAS fragmented in April 2020, many were dismayed at the loss of what would’ve been the brightest comet since the 1997 passing of Hale-Bopp. But NASA and the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter just flew near what’s left of ATLAS, giving scientists a rare look at what happens to a comet’s tail…