Comet Spotted ‘Heading’ Sun [Video]

Comets circulating in our Solar System can provide surprising moments when we look at the sky, especially at night. Recently, NASA’s spacecraft SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory), which observes the Sun, has managed to capture a moment that is impossible for us to see with our eyes.

In images shared by SOHO, a comet literally headbutted the Sun as it passed close by. In the video created by combining the photos taken by SOHO, it was seen that the comet was caught by the Sun’s gravity and disappeared momentarily.

Moments when the comet approaches the Sun and disappears:

The shared images show only a few hours of the comet’s adventure. The object, which is currently on its way to the Sun, is suddenly attracted to the Sun, especially after a while after approaching the Sun, and is rapidly drawn to the Sun. Unfortunately, the adventure of the star cannot be observed after a while due to the chronograph in the SOHO vehicle. This device, which we see blocking the direct rays of the Sun, protects SOHO from the rays coming from the Sun.

The sun actually destroys dozens of celestial bodies by pulling it to itself every day. But many of these objects are only a few meters in size and cannot be observed by telescopes. The imaged comet is thought to be a large part of the massive Kreutz comet that shattered centuries ago. Parts of this star still continue to orbit the Sun and disappear from time to time by getting closer to the Sun.