Breakup of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3

This video follows Fragment B of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 over the course of three days. Hubble made three exposures with the Advanced Camera for Surveys that have here been combined to a seamless video with the help of an advanced morphing technique.

An amazing hierarchical destruction process is taking place in this comet, in which fragments are continuing to break into smaller chunks, which are trailing behind the main fragment.