Comet Dust Layers Form Rapidly

Hubble imaged comet C/2025 K1 splitting into at least four distinct fragments with resolved comae just days after disintegration began, implying a substantial dust layer can develop and become mobilized on very short timescales. That rapid dust‑layer formation and subsequent gas-driven ejection may be a common trigger for sudden comet fragmentation, changing how we model comet surface evolution. — If rapid dust‑layer formation is common, it revises models of small‑body behavior, affects predictions of comet activity (and potential hazards), and argues for agile space observations.