The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 acquired this rare, relatively clear image of Mayon, the most active volcano in the Philippines, on Feb. 26, 2026. The natural-color scene is overlaid with infrared observations to highlight the lava’s heat signature. On that day, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported volcanic earthquakes, rockfalls, and hot clouds of ash and debris called pyroclastic flows. Along with PHIVOLCS, multiple NASA satellites also monitored the volcano’s sulfur dioxide emissions, showing sizable plumes of the gas drifting southwest on February 4 and March 6.

From Service to Space Systems: A Pathways Journey to NASA

2026-03-18 15:06

For Corey Elmore, the path to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center did not begin in engineering. It began in service.

Today he serves as a NASA Pathways engineering intern in the Technical Processes and Tools Branch (KSC-NE-TA) at Kennedy Space Center. Through the Pathways program, he is gaining hands-on experience supporting the engineering environments, technical tools and processes that help NASA teams design, analyze, and operate complex mission systems.

NASA Pathways intern Corey Elmore stands near Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, with the Space Launch System rocket and Artemis infrastructure in the background. Through the Pathways program, Elmore supports engineering tools and processes that help enable NASA missions.

NASA/Corey Elmore

Within the branch, his work explores how artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation can enhance engineering workflows. As modern missions generate massive amounts of data across interconnected systems, these tools help engineers organize information, improve analysis, and make faster decisions.

By studying how intelligent systems can support engineers, he hopes to help teams focus more deeply on solving the technical challenges that enable exploration.

"What excites me most about being at NASA is the chance to work on problems that are bigger than any one person. In a place like this, even small improvements in how we think, build, or support engineers can ripple outward into missions that push exploration forward."

Corey Elmore

NASA Pathways Intern

The Pathways program provides students the opportunity to work alongside experienced engineers while contributing to real projects across NASA centers. At Kennedy Space Center, the experience offers a front-row view of how large-scale technical systems come together, from engineering processes and technical documentation to the collaborative teams responsible for supporting mission operations.

A NASA intern stands inside a large industrial facility with rocket hardware and structural platforms in the backgrou

NASA Pathways intern Corey Elmore stands inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, where large-scale hardware and engineering systems are prepared for mission operations.

Mentorship and collaboration have been central to the experience. Working with engineers across multiple disciplines has reinforced the importance of systems thinking: understanding how people, processes, and technology interact within complex mission environments.

His path to NASA, however, did not begin in engineering. Before entering the STEM field, he served in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman supporting Marine Corps and Navy units. During that time, he also served as an instructor working with Navy Seabees, helping train and mentor service members in mission-critical skills.

That role required breaking down complex information, leading under pressure, and ensuring others could perform effectively in demanding environments. These skills translate naturally into engineering problem solving.

U.S. Navy personnel conduct a field training exercise while assisting a simulated casualty in an outdoor environment.

Before joining NASA, Corey Elmore served in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman, supporting Marine Corps and Navy units and training service members in mission-critical skills.

NASA/Corey Elmore

My transition from military service to NASA has shown me that purpose does not end when the uniform comes off. The setting changes, the tools change, but the deeper mission remains: Serving something larger than yourself.

Corey Elmore

NASA Pathways Intern

Following military service, the next chapter unfolded in the defense and shipbuilding industry, supporting naval maintenance and logistics systems connected to fleet readiness. Working in shipbuilding environments provided firsthand exposure to the scale and coordination required to sustain complex operational platforms.

Maintaining ships at sea and preparing spacecraft for launch share a common challenge. Both depend on integrating engineering disciplines, operational processes, and reliable technology into a cohesive system.

While building professional experience, he continued pursuing higher education. During his time in the Navy, he earned a bachelor’s degree in supply chain and operations management from Western Governors University. Today, he is continuing his studies while working at NASA, pursuing both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Combining operational experience, systems thinking, and emerging technologies is helping shape a foundation aligned with the increasingly complex challenges of modern space exploration.

Equally meaningful has been the community at Kennedy Space Center. Through the Pathways program, interns work alongside experienced mentors and engineering teams across NASA, creating an environment where curiosity, learning, and collaboration drive growth.

For this Navy veteran, the opportunity represents more than a career milestone; it represents a continuation of service.

A group of approximately 18 young professionals, identified as NASA Pathways interns, posing for a group photo inside a large industrial assembly facility. They are standing on a concrete platform under a steel support structure. In the background, a massive orange rocket stage is visible within a complex gray gantry and scaffolding system. The interns are dressed in professional-casual attire and most are wearing NASA-branded lanyards.

Pathways interns at KSC get a front-row seat to the hardware that will power our next giant Artemis leap.

For those transitioning from military careers, the path into engineering and exploration may look different, but the mission often feels familiar. Programs like NASA Pathways provide veterans the chance to bring their discipline, leadership, and operational experience into fields that support the next generation of discovery.

As his journey at Kennedy Space Center continues, he remains focused on contributing to the systems and technologies that will help enable the future of human exploration.

For more information about the Pathways program, visit nasa.gov/careers/pathways.

Widely Attended Gatherings (WAGs) Determinations

2026-03-18 14:08

2026

Maryland Space Business Roundtable (MSBR) 3.26.26

SIA_27th Annual Leadership Dinner 3.23.26

2026 Artemis Suppliers Conference 3.23-25.26

Ansys Government Initiatives Event_AGI 3.19.26

Homeland Security Week 3.17-18.26

Amazon Smithsonian and Space for Humanity Event 3.16.26

HLSR_NASA Night at the Rodeo 3.7.26

WIF Leadership Luncheon 3.4.26

2026 National Space Club Florida Committee Monthly Luncheon

Space Policy Institute Event 2.17.26

Maryland Space Business Roundtable_MSBR 2.11.26

2026 TSC Artemis II Pre-launch Reception 2.5.26

2026 VABA AAAAM Legislative Reception 2.4.26

Chamber of Commerce Summit 2.2.26

Cheniere Energy at the National Portrait Gallery 1.28.26

Leaders for a Better Louisiana at Adams and Reese 1.28.26

California Manufacturers and Technology Association Reception 1.23.26

Goddard Memorial Dinner 3.13.26

ISS 25th Anniversary 1.19.26

2026 Amentum Artemis II Rollout Reception 1.14.26

Maryland Space Business Roundtable 1.14.26

2025

Commercial Space Federation 12.9.25

Ansys Government Initiatives (AGI) 12.16.25

Maryland Space Business Roundtable (MSBR) 12.10.25

Women in Aerospace 12.11.25

Umbra Lab Inc 12.3.25

Space Policy Institute 10.21.2025

MSBR Space Business Roundtable 10.15.2025

76th International Astronautical Congress_IAC 9.29.25

2025 Von Braun Memorial Dinner 10.29.25

Space Foundation Reception 9.16.25

Evening with the Stars 9.10.25

MSBR Rooftop Reception 9.8.25

AIAA Dinner 8.18.25

STScI Event 7.29.25

MSBR Lunch 7.16.25

Rocket Lab Event 7.16.25

MSBR Lunch Reception 6.18.25

2025 Paris Airshow 6.13-19.25

Greater Houston Partnership Reception 6.12.25

Axiom Space X-4 Event

Space Foundation and German Embassy Reception 6.5.25

Mission 2 Moon Landing 6.5.25

H2M Conference and Events 5.28-29.25

Planetary Society 5.19.25

American Rocketry Challenge Reception 5.17.25

Rockets on the Hill Reception 5.16.25

Dayton Development Coalition Event 5.13.25

PA State Day Reception 5.6.25

MSBR STEM Gala 5.2.25

2025 ASF Hall of Fame Gala

AIAA Awards Gala 4.30.25

RNASA Awards Dinner 4.25.25

2025 Space Heroes and Legends Gala

Thunderbird School and Global Management Reception

40th Space Symposium Main Events

GovExec Awards Dinner 4.3.25

AIA Reception.4.2.25

SPI/GWU Dinner.4.2.25

Astrolab and Axiom.3.27.25

SPI/GWU/USRA Symposium.3.27.25

IDGA 18th Annual Event

Artemis VIP Reception.3.24.25

Goddard Memorial Dinner.3.21.25

MSBR Lunch.3.19.25

2025 Satellite Exhibition Event.3.10.25 to 3.13.25

SIA Dinner.3.10.25

67th Laureate Awards Dinner.3.6.25

SPI GWU Dinner.3.5.25

Bae Systems SPHEREx Launch.2.27.25

2025 Artemis Suppliers Conference

Blue Ghost Viewing Event

ServiceNow Forum.2.12.25

MSBR Luncheon.2.19.25

2025 Monthly NSCFL Luncheon

MSBR Lunch.1.22.25

Creole-Queen NOLA Reception.1.13.25

2025 New Glenn Mission 1 Launch Event

2025 Firefly Blue Origin Launch Reception

2024

MeriTalk Reception.12.19.24

Aero Club Award Dinner.12.13.24

Rocket Lab Event.12.13.24

Space Foundation Event.12.13.24

Umbra Lab Inc.12.5.24

Commercial Space Federation Joint Event.12.9.24

AGI Holiday Reception.12.3.24

The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation Event.11.21.24

Planet Labs PBC Reception.11.20.24

Rocket Lab Event.11.19.24

SPI GWU Dinner.11.5.24

Blue Origin and KBR Dinner.10.30.24

JASWDC Gala.10.30.24

SPI GWU Dinner.10.30.24

36th Annual Dr. Wernher von Braun Memorial Dinner

2024 Keystone Space Conference

2024 IAC Event

WIA Reception and Awards Dinner.10.10.24

2024 JPL Europa Clipper Launch Reception.10.8.24

SPI GWU Dinner.9.18.24

2024 VASBA HR AUVSI Gala

Blue Origin Reception.8.27.24

AIA & Amazon Reception.8.26.24

Exolaunch Reception.8.7.24

Farnborough Air Show.7.20-21.24

Artemis II SLS Roll Out Reception.7.15.24

Astroscale Reception Tokyo.7.12.24

Brooke Owens Fellowship Dinner.7.11.24

SpaceX GOES-U Launch

MSBR lunch.6.18.24

NAA Collier Dinner.6.13.24

Greater Cleveland Partnership.6.13-14.24

VAST Space LLC.6.12.24

Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Return to the Moon.6.5.24

The 2024 Infinite Exhibit Grand Opening

AIA and German Embassy Reception.6.4.24

AIA and British Embassy Reception.5.22.24

Space Foundation Event.5.16.24

Foundation Fratelli Tutti Dinners.5.10-11.24

MSBR STEM Gala.5.10.24

H2M Conference and Event.5.7-8.24

SPI/GW Dinner.5.1.24

Astrolab and Axiom.4.30.24

2024 Monthly NSCFL Luncheon

MEI 77th Annual Gala.4.17.24

Crowell & Moring Reception.4.16.24

2024 ASF Hall of Fame Gala

2024 Space Heroes and Legends Awards Dinner

SpaceX Symposium Reception.4.10.24

39th Space Symposium Supplemental

39th Space Symposium Main Events

SPI GWU Dinner.4.5.24

Goddard Memorial Dinner.3.22.24

SPI GW Dinner.3.20.24

AIA and Amazon Reception.3.19.24

MSBR Lunch.3.19.24

AIAA Awards Gala.3.15.24

NASM Event.3.6.24

Planetary Society.3.5.24

Embassy of Australia and Space Foundation.2.29.24

SPI/GWO Dinner.2.27.24

2024 Artemis Suppliers Conference

BDB Engineering Award Event

2024 Aerospace Days Legislative Reception

2024 NG-20 CRS Launch

IDGA 17th Annual Event.1.23 – 24.24

MSBR Lunch 1.16.24

Latino Biden-Harris Appointees Reception.1.11.24

STA Reception.1.11.24

2024 Axiom Space AX-3 Launch Reception

2023

2023 Astrobotic PM1 PreLaunch Reception

AERO Club Awards Dinner.12.15.23

WIA Dinner.12.13.23

MSBR Lunch.12.12.23

SCL and GBM Foundation Reception.12.11.23

LASP and Ball Aerospace Reception.12.11.23

Bayou Classic Brunch

L Oreal USA for Women Event.11.16.23

AAIA Reception.11.15.23

KBR Welcome Reception.11.14.23

SPI GWU Dinner 11.15.23

Museum of Natural History Board Events 11.2.23

USF Reception.10.24.23

Blue Origin KBR Reception

2023 Von Braun Memorial Dinner

Planet Labs PBC Reception.10.26.23

ELI Reception Dinner.10.24.23

OSIRIS REX RECEPTION.10.17.23

WIA Reception and Award Dinner.10.12.23

National Space Club Banquet 2023

Space Foundation and Airbus.10.3.23

IAC Event

NAHF Dinner Ceremony.9.22.23

2023 VASBA HR AUVSI Gala and Symposium

2023 Psyche Mission Team

SPI GWU Dinner 9.13.23

AIA Congress Space Reception.9.7.23

MSBR Lunch 8.16.23

WAG NG CRS 7-24-23

2023 ASF Innovators Gala

Space Foundation Reception 7.19.23

Chamber of Commerce Reception.7.13.23

ECI Fellows Meeting.7.12 to 7.14.23

Embassy of Italy and Virgin Galactic.7.12.23

JWST Reception 7.13.23

Brook Owens Fellowship Dinner 7.13.23

Comteck and Airbus Space Defense 07.11.23.

Calgary Stampede.7.7.23

CLD Reception.6.20.23

CFA SAO Reception.6.15.23

Paris Air Show.6.17-20.23

UCAR Reception 6.7.23

Space Forum 2023

Rocket Lab TROPICS.5.18.23

2023 Axiom Space AX-2 Launch Event WAG

SW SPI Dinner 5.9.23

H2M WAG 2023

MSBR STEM Gala 5.5.23

AIAA Awards Gala Event 5.18.23

38th Space Symposium 4.16 to 4.20.23

Planet Labs PGC Reception.4.13.23

AL-23-009 RNASA

2023 TEMPO Pre-Launch Reception

MSBR Lunch 4.4.23

Coalition for Deep Space Exploration SLS Orion EGS Gateway Suppliers 3.26.23

Orion SLS Conference 3.27 to 3.28.23

EWDC Event.3.23.23

2023 Agency WAG Debus Award Banquet

VHMC And Boeing Reception 3.18.23

Ball Aerospace Kinship Reception 3.15.23

Airbus Defence Event 3.14.23

Terran Orbital Event 3.15.23

SpaceX Satellite Reception 3.13.23

SPI GWU Dinner 3.9.23

Goddard Memorial Dinner 3.10.23

2023 Agency Wag AHOF Gala

Space Foundation Event 2.16.23

BDB National Engineers Week 2023 Banquet
MSBR Lunch 2.28.23
STA Luncheon 2.7.23
WSBR Reception 2.1.23
SPI GWU SWF Reception 1.31.23
Artemis I Splashdown 01.17.23
MSBR Lunch 1.17.23

2022

GRC An Evening With the Stars 8.30.22
JPL 25 Years on Mars Reception 7.27.22
SPI GWU Dinner 7.6.22
Berlin Air Show 6.22-26.22
MSBR Lunch 6.21.22
KSC Gateway VIP Rception 6.14.22
MSBR Dinner Gala 6.10.22
NAA Robert J. Collier Awards Dinner 6.9.22
Advanced Space and Rocket Lab Capstone Event 6.8.22
AIA Challenger Center Reception 6.2.22
2022 H2M Summit 5.17-19.22
MSBR Lunch 5.17.22
FCW GovExec Awards Dinner 5.12.22
Meta Reception 5.4.22
JSC RNASA Luncheon and Dinner 4.29.22
Coalition for Deep Space Reception 4.28.22
SLS Orion EGS Suppliers Conference 4.28-29.22
SPI GWU Dinner 4.27.22
AIAA Awards Gala Dinner 4.27.22
MSBR Luncheon 4.19.2022
Arianespace Northrop Grumman JWST Reception 4.5.22
37th Space Symposium 4.4 to 7.22
Axiom Space Launch Event 3.30.22
Heinrich Boell Foundation Dinner 3.30.22
Aarianespace Reception 3.23.22
SIA Conference Events 3.21-23.22 Revised
Satellite Industry Association Reception 3.21.22
Goddard Memorial Dinner 3.18.22
GOES-T Post-Launch Reception 3.1.22
Goes-T L3 Harris Reception 3.1.22
Christopher Newport University Dinner 02.23.22
NG-17 CRS Launch Events VA 2.19.22
SPI GWU Dinner 02.04.2022
MSBR Dinner 01.18.2022
KSC CCTS Spaceport Summit 1.11-12.22

2021

JWST Launch 12.25.21
Aero Club Awards Reception 12.17.21
KSC NSC Celebrate Space 12.10.21
AGI Ansys Reception 12.10.21
KSC Ball Aerospace IXPE Launch Celebration Reception 12.7.21
WIA Awards Dinner 12.2.21
National Space Council Recognition Reception 12.1.21
SPI Dinner 11.16.21
AIAA ASCEND Event 11.15.21
AIAA Ascend 2021 Reception Dinner Las Vegs 11.14.21
KSC Astronaut Hall of Fame Event 11.13.21
KSC DNC Taste of Space Event 11.5.21
SPI Dinner 11.2.21
IAC Closing Gala 10.29.21
GRC Evening With The Stars 10.27.21
Goddard Memorial Awards Dinner 10.22.21
IAC 2021
Lucy Post Launch Dinner 10.16.21
KSC Lucy Launch Mission Events 10.12-13.21
United Airlines Reception 10.12.21
Blue Origin Launch 10.12.21
SPI Dinner on or about 9.28.21
Goddard Memorial Dinner 9.17.21 CANCELLED
SPI Dinner 9.7.21
RNASA Awards Dinner and Luncheon 9.3.21
GRC Evening With the Stars 8.31.21
FED100 Gala Awards Dinner 8.27.21
Addendum to 36th Space Symposium 8.22-26.21
36th Space Symposium 8.22-26.21
KSC ASF Innovators Gala 8.14.21
NG16 Launch Events 8.10.21
LaRC Virginia Space Reception 7.30.21
KSC 2021 Debus Award Dinner 7.30.21
Coalition for Deep Space 07.22.21
KSC Lockheed WAS Star Center Reception 7.15.21

2020

United Launch Alliance Satellite 2020 Reception 3.10.20
SpaceX Reception 3.9.20
U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2020 Aviation Summit 3.5.20
Maryland Space Business Roundtable Lunch 2.18.20
SLS Orion Suppliers Conference 2.12.20
Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Reception 2.11.20
Northrop Grumman NG-13 CRS Launch Events 2.9.20
VA UAS AeroSpace Legislative Reception 1.29.20
MSBR Lunch 1.21.20
Guidance Keough School of Global Affairs 1.16.20
Boeing Orbital Flight Test Launch Events 12.20.19
Virgin Space Reception 12.17.19
SEA Summit 12.17.19
Wright Memorial Dinner 12.13.19
Analytical Graphics AGI Reception 12.13.19
Ball Reception 12.10.19
MSBR Lunch 12.3.19
Plant Reception 11.20.19
JSC Spacecom Conference VIP Reception 11.20.19
JSC Spacecom Conference Reception 11.19.19
SAIC BSU STEM Roundtable 11.07.19
Apollo UK Productions Ltd 7.10.19
SpaceX Satellite Reception 5.6.19
SPI GWU Dinner 5.1.19
AIAA Reception 4.30.19
MSBR Lunch 1.21.20
MSBR Lunch 1.21.20

NASA’s Hubble Unexpectedly Catches Comet Breaking Up

2026-03-18 14:00

5 Min Read

NASA’s Hubble Unexpectedly Catches Comet Breaking Up

A time sequence of three panels side by side. From left to right, the panels are labeled November 8, 2025; November 9, 2025; and November 10, 2025. This series of images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope of the fragmenting comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), or K1 for short, was taken over the course of three consecutive days. The sequence shows the progressive disintegration of the comet over this brief period.

Each panel features several bright, fuzzy, blue, streaking lights in a diagonal line from the upper left to the lower right of a black background. In the first panel, four comet-like objects appear. The largest is the second from the upper left. In the second panel, the largest object has broken into two pieces. In the third panel, the pieces appear to be moving away from each other along the invisible diagonal line.

A series of images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope of the fragmenting comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS).

Credits:
Image: NASA, ESA, Dennis Bodewits (AU); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

In a happy twist of fate, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope just witnessed a comet in the act of breaking apart. The chance of that happening while Hubble watched is extraordinarily minuscule. The findings published Wednesday in the journal Icarus.

The comet K1, whose full name is C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)—not to be confused with interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS—was not the original target of the Hubble study.

“Sometimes the best science happens by accident,” said co-investigator John Noonan, a research professor in the Department of Physics at Auburn University in Alabama. “This comet got observed because our original comet was not viewable due to some new technical constraints after we won our proposal. We had to find a new target—and right when we observed it, it happened to break apart, which is the slimmest of slim chances.”

This series of images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope of the fragmenting comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) was taken over the course of three consecutive days: Nov. 8, 9, and 10, 2025. This is the first time Hubble has witnessed a comet so early in the process of breaking up.

Image: NASA, ESA, Dennis Bodewits (AU); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Noonan didn’t know K1 was fragmenting until he viewed the images the day after Hubble took them. “While I was taking an initial look at the data, I saw that there were four comets in those images when we only proposed to look at one,” said Noonan. “So we knew this was something really, really special.”

This is an experiment the researchers always wanted to do with Hubble. They had proposed many Hubble observations to catch a comet breaking up. Unfortunately, these are very difficult to schedule, and they were never successful.

“The irony is now we’re just studying a regular comet and it crumbles in front of our eyes,” said principal investigator Dennis Bodewits, also a professor in Auburn University’s Department of Physics.

“Comets are leftovers of the era of solar system formation, so they’re made of ‘old stuff’—the primordial materials that made our solar system,” said Bodewits. “But they are not pristine—they’ve been heated; they’ve been irradiated by the Sun and by cosmic rays. So, when looking at a comet’s composition, the question we always have is, ‘Is this a primitive property or is this due to evolution?’ By cracking open a comet, you can see the ancient material that has not been processed.”

Hubble caught K1 fragmenting into at least four pieces, each with a distinct coma, the fuzzy envelope of gas and dust that surrounds a comet’s icy nucleus. Hubble cleanly resolved the fragments, but to ground-based telescopes, at the time they only appeared as barely distinguishable, bright blobs.

Hubble’s images were taken just a month after K1’s closest approach to the Sun, called perihelion. The comet’s perihelion was inside Mercury’s orbit, about one-third the distance of the Earth from the Sun. During perihelion, a comet experiences its most intense heating and maximum stress. Just past perihelion is when some long-period comets like K1 tend to fall apart.

Diagram shows K1’s path. With Sun at center, nearly circular orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars appear against black background. In sharp contrast is K1’s tight parabolic curve, marked by solid, light blue curving line illustrating how K1 swooped toward the Sun from above. It curved around the Sun, coming closest inside Mercury’s orbit, and continued its outbound journey. After passing the Sun, as K1 approached Mercury’s orbit, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured the inset image of comet. Five, bright, fuzzy, blue, comet-like objects streak diagonally from upper left to lower right of a black box outlined in white. At outside top of box is label C/2025 K1 (ATLAS). Outside the right side of box is a white, horizontal line labeled November 10, 2025. To right of this line is a perpendicular, vertical line pointing to a white glow just inside Mercury’s orbit that illustrates K1. To left of this glow, the comet’s outbound path is marked by a dashed gray line that continues off the image.

This diagram shows the path Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), or K1, took as it swung past the Sun and began its journey out of the solar system. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured the inset image of the fragmenting comet just a month after K1’s closest approach to the Sun.

Illustration: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)

Before it fragmented, K1 was likely a bit larger than an average comet, probably around 5 miles across. The team estimates the comet began to disintegrate eight days before Hubble viewed it. Hubble took three 20-second images, one on each day from Nov. 8 through Nov. 10, 2025. As it watched the comet, one of K1’s smaller pieces also broke up.

Because Hubble’s sharp vision can distinguish extremely fine details, the team could trace the history of the fragments back to when they were one piece. That allowed them to reconstruct the timeline. But in doing so, they uncovered a mystery: Why was there a delay between when the comet broke up and when bright outbursts were seen from the ground? When the comet fragmented and exposed fresh ice, why didn’t it brighten almost instantaneously?

The team has some theories. Most of a comet’s brightness is sunlight reflected off of dust grains. But when a comet cracks open, it reveals pure ice. Maybe a layer of dry dust needs to form over the pure ice and then blow off. Or maybe heat needs to get below the surface, build up pressure, and then eject an expanding shell of dust.

“Never before has Hubble caught a fragmenting comet this close to when it actually fell apart. Most of the time, it’s a few weeks to a month later. And in this case, we were able to see it just days after,” said Noonan. “This is telling us something very important about the physics of what’s happening at the comet’s surface. We may be seeing the timescale it takes to form a substantial dust layer that can then be ejected by the gas.”

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Lead Producer: Paul Morris

The research team is looking forward to finishing the analysis of the gases to come from the comet. Already, ground-based analysis shows that K1 is chemically very strange—it is significantly depleted in carbon, compared with other comets. Spectroscopic analysis from Hubble’s STIS (Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) and COS (Cosmic Origins Spectrograph) instruments is likely to reveal much more about the composition of K1 and the very origins of our solar system, as NASA’s space telescopes continue to contribute to our understanding of planetary science.

The comet K1 is now a collection of fragments about 250 million miles from Earth. Located in the constellation Pisces, it is heading out of the solar system, not likely to ever return.

The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.

Related Images & Videos

Fragmentation of Comet C/2025 K1

Diagram shows K1u2019s path. With Sun near middle right of image, truncated nearly circular orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars appear against black background. K1u2019s tight parabolic curve, marked by solid, light blue curving line, illustrates how K1 swooped toward the Sun from above. It curved around the Sun, coming closest inside Mercuryu2019s orbit, and continued its outbound journey.nAfter passing the Sun, as K1 approached Venusu2019 orbit, NASAu2019s Hubble Space Telescope captured the inset image of comet. Five, bright, fuzzy, blue, comet-like objects streak diagonally from upper left to lower right of a black box outlined in white. At outside top of box is label C/2025 K1 (ATLAS). Outside the right side of box is a white, horizontal line labeled November 10, 2025. To right of this line is a perpendicular, vertical line pointing to a white glow just inside Mercuryu2019s orbit that illustrates K1. To left of this glow, the cometu2019s outbound path is marked by a dashed gray line that continues off the image.

Comet C/2025 K1 Orbit Illustration

Three annotated panels side by side show K1 fragmenting over three consecutive days. Arrows show the orientation of object on sky.u00a0At top left of first panel, label on first line reads Fragmentation of Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS). Second line reads HST STIS MIRVIS. From left to right, panels are labeled November 8, 2025; November 9, 2025; and November 10, 2025.nnEach panel shows several bright, fuzzy, blue objects streaking diagonally from upper left to lower right of black background. In first panel, four comet-like objects are numbered 1 thru 4. In second panel, the largest object has broken into two pieces, 2a and 2b. In third panel, pieces appear to be moving away from each other diagonally.nnu00a0nnArrows on last panel show orientation of image on sky. Arrow labeled N points to 8:30. Arrow labeled E points to 5:30. Relationship between north and east on the sky as seen from below is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground as seen from above.

Comet C/2025 K1 Compass Image

This annotated series of images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope of the fragmenting comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), or K1 for short, was taken over the course of three consecutive days: Nov. 8, 9, and 10, 2025. Arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky.

Fragmenting Comet C/2025 K1

This animation steps through the three images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope of the fragmenting comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), or K1 for short, taken consecutively on Nov. 8, 9, and 10, 2025. Captured by Hubble’s STIS (Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) instrument, t…

Video: Hubble Accidentally Catches Comet Breaking Up

In a happy twist of fate, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope just witnessed a comet in the act of breaking apart. The chance of that happening while Hubble watched is extraordinarily miniscule.

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Mar 18, 2026

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Space Telescope Science Institute
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Wave of Dust Rolls Through Texas

2026-03-18 04:01

A line of tan suspended dust stretches roughly northwest-to-southeast for over 100 miles across West Texas.

March 15, 2026

The Ides of March brought perilous weather to West Texas and the state’s Panhandle. A strong cold front blasted south across the arid plains on March 15, 2026, bringing stiff winds that stirred up a curtain of dust. The cloud of suspended particles slashed visibility and made for treacherous travel as it swept across the region. The high winds, coupled with dry conditions, also raised the risk of wildland fires.

The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of blowing dust on its march across Texas at about 4:45 p.m. Central Time (21:45 Universal Time) on March 15. An image acquired by the Terra satellite about 5 hours earlier shows the wall of dust when it was approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the northeast.

Footage captured by a storm chaser shows visibility plummeting to nearly zero as the dense plume passed; similar conditions contributed to a multivehicle crash in North Texas. The National Weather Service also issued a Red Flag Warning for March 15 due to the combination of high winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels. Several wildland fires ignited in the Panhandle, prompting evacuations, according to news reports.

Weather conditions took a sharp turn with the cold front’s passage. A weather station in Pecos recorded a high of 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius) at 4:30 p.m. local time on March 15, around the time of this image. Temperatures then dropped abruptly, hitting a low of 39ºF (4ºC) around 6 a.m. the next morning. Pecos saw sustained winds of about 25 miles (40 kilometers) per hour with gusts up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour on March 15. Several stations in the Panhandle clocked gusts over 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour.

Much of northern and western Texas has been experiencing moderate or severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Though dust storms are typical in the region this time of year, the lack of rain parches vegetation, dries the land, and increases the area’s susceptibility to these events.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

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March 15, 2026

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References & Resources

Amarillo Globe-News (2026, March 16) Video of wildfires, dust storms forcing evacuations in Texas Panhandle. Accessed March 17, 2026.
NASA Earth Observatory (2025, March 6) Storm Brings a Potpourri of Hazards to the U.S. Accessed March 17, 2026.
NASA Earthdata (2026) Dust/Ash/Smoke. Accessed March 17, 2026.
National Weather Service, Dust Storms and Haboobs. Accessed March 17, 2026.
National Weather Service, via Iowa Environmental Mesonet (2026, March 14) Urgent – Weather Message. Accessed March 17, 2026.
Texas Storm Chasers (2026, March 13) Texas Weather Roundup: Dangerous Fire Weather, Damaging Winds & Sharp Cold Front Sunday. Accessed March 17, 2026.