A recently discovered comet makes its closest approach to the Sun. Moments later, it seems to be struck by a super-hot outburst of gas from the star.
This spectacular image was spotted on Tuesday by a spacecraft, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (Soho). The joint European Space Agency/Nasa satellite is designed to give warnings of stormy space weather that might affect the Earth. Soho has photographed hundreds of comets around the Sun but this one, known as Neat, has only just been seen.
