NASA's Illuminate Series (2026)

NASA’s Illuminate: Sun Rips Comet’s Tail in HalfIn October 2025, as comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) passed near the Sun, an eruption called a coronal mass ejection burst from our star. Soon after, NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission watched as part of the comet’s tail wavered and ripped apart — not once but twice. Imaging comet Lemmon every 4 to 8 minutes over three months, PUNCH created one of the longest and most detailed records yet of a comet interacting with the Sun.Video Credit: NASA/Lacey YoungMusic credit: "Hyperconscious” by Timothy William Oliver [PRS] from Universal Production MusicSound Effects: Pixabay