... Schwassmann Wachmann 3: Fragment B . ... Credit: NASA , ESA , H. Weaver ( JHU / APL ), M. Mutchler and Z. Levay ( STScI ) Explanation: Periodic comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 has fallen apart before. ... On April 18th, the Hubble Space Telescope recorded this sharp view of prolific Fragment B , itself trailing dozens of smaller pieces, each with its own cometary coma and tail. The picture spans over 3,000 kilometers at the comet's April 18 distance of 32 million kilometers from planet Earth. ...