Sungrazing comet

== Origin of sungrazing comets ==

== Origin of sungrazing comets ==

{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2025}}

Studies show that for comets with high [[orbital inclination]]s and perihelion distances of less than about 2 [[astronomical unit]]s, the cumulative effect of gravitational perturbations over many orbits is adequate to reduce the perihelion distance to very small values. One study has suggested that [[Comet Hale–Bopp]] has about a 15% chance of eventually becoming a sungrazer.

Studies show that for comets with high [[orbital inclination]]s and perihelion distances of less than about 2 [[astronomical unit]]s, the cumulative effect of gravitational perturbations over many orbits is adequate to reduce the perihelion distance to very small values. One study has suggested that [[Comet Hale–Bopp]] has about a 15% chance of eventually becoming a sungrazer.