A comet approaching the Sun (from SOHO) - detail mgnf

Caption NASA originale:"Based on their similar orbits, as first worked out by 19th century German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, all "sungrazers" are believed to originate from a single large "parent comet" which broke up during a perihelion passage perhaps 2.000 years ago. Over time, pieces have continued to split off producing a family of smaller comets which seem to travel in the same orbit".