Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Captures Passing Comet

Posted on August 4, 2016

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured a comet traveling by the sun at 1.3 million miles per hour.

The comet was observed by the ESA and NASA SOHO spacecraft on August 3rd and August 4th.

NASA shared the video footage on Twitter:

NASA says SOHO first spotted this comet on August. It is part of the Kreutz family of comets. It is a group of comets with related orbits that broke off of a huge comet several centuries ago.

The comet whipped around the sun rather than falling into it. It did not survive its journey. NASA says the comet was "torn apart and vaporized by the intense forces near the sun."


More from Science Space & Robots

  • LG Display Creates Stretchable Display, Expands up to 50%


  • Hurricane Helene Death Toll Passes 100


  • Grumpy Dwarfgoby is a Newly Discovered Red Sea Fish


  • New Red and Beige Starfish Species Discovered in Japan


  • Hurricane Beryl is Earliest Cat 5 Hurricane




  • Latest Tech Products

  • Apple Mac Mini with M4 Chip
  • Apple iPad Mini A17 Pro