Comet class

Sungrazing Comets

Comets that pass extremely close to the Sun at perihelion, often within a few solar radii.

Comet class

Overview

Comets whose orbits carry them through the Sun's outer atmosphere; most disintegrate, though a few survive. Many belong to the Kreutz family and are discovered by solar observatories.

Members

2 modelled members.

Ikeya–SekiC/1965
One of the brightest comets of the past thousand years — a Kreutz sungrazer that became visible in daylight near the Sun in October 1965.
TypeKreutz sungrazerDiscovered1965Great cometYes
LovejoyC/2011
A Kreutz sungrazing comet that unexpectedly survived a passage through the Sun's corona in December 2011, emerging to display a bright tail.
TypeKreutz sungrazerDiscovered2011

Knowledge connections

Group includesLovejoy
Group includesIkeya–Seki

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.

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