Earlier this year, the Hubble Telescope captured images of the comet known as 332P as it broke into bits. A study about what it documented was recently published and provides insight into what has typically been a little-understood behavior of the speeding masses.

Earlier this year, the Hubble Space Telescope captured images of a comet known as Comet 332P, or 332P/Ikeya-Murakami, as it broke into bits. 
A study about what it documented was recently published and provides insight into what has typically been a little-understood behavior of the speeding masses. 
According to a NASA release, researchers believe, “…that sunlight heated up the comet, causing jets of gas and dust to erupt from its surface…these jets act like rocket engines, spinning up the comet’s rotation. The faster spin rate loosened chunks of material, which are drifting off into space.” 
David Jewitt, one of the team members, said, “In the past, astronomers thought that comets…simply vaporize away…But it’s starting to look like fragmentation may be more important. In Comet 332P we may be seeing a comet fragmenting itself into oblivion.” 
Based on the comet’s current rate of disintegration, astronomers estimate, “…it will be gone in 150 years.”