Comet LINEAR Breaks Up
Explanation:
Unexpectedly,
Comet LINEAR is breaking up.
In retrospect, clues of its demise have been surfacing all month as the
new comet has been approaching the
Sun and
brightening with dramatic flares.
Above, the
Hubble Space Telescope captured
Comet C/1999 S4 LINEAR
early this month blowing off a large piece of its crust.
Recent speculation holds that the
nucleus completely disrupted on or about July 24.
If true, the
elongated train
of material should continue to ablate and orbit the Sun,
but may now fade much more quickly.
The break up of a bright
comet is unusual but not unprecedented, as
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
broke up before it struck
Jupiter in 1994, and
Comet Bennett broke apart as it neared the Sun in 1974.
Future observations will tell if
Comet LINEAR's
first trip into the inner
Solar System is its last.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
