On April 19, 2024, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured a rare sighting of a “doomed” comet during a solar eclipse. This event provided a unique opportunity for scientists to study the behavior of a comet as it approached the Sun, ultimately meeting its fate.
SOHO, stationed 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth, is a joint ESA/NASA project that constantly monitors the Sun, providing valuable data and images of solar storms and the Sun’s atmosphere. The comet in question, known as 323P/SOHO, has been under observation for some time due to its predicted collision with the Sun.
Comets like 323P/SOHO are typically composed of ice, dust, and rocky material. As they approach the Sun, the heat causes the ice to vaporize, creating a glowing coma and tail that can be seen from Earth. However, due to the intense gravitational pull and heat of the Sun, comets like 323P/SOHO are ultimately doomed to disintegrate upon impact.