The study relied on space-based solar instruments like GOES-19 and SOHO, and found that the comet was distinctly bluer than the sun, which was consistent with
gas emissions contributing substantially to the comet’s increased brightness near perihelion, according to the study's authors. This is expected of comets, which
heat up as they approach the sun, causing surface ices to sublimate into gases that wrap around the comet’s body and contribute to its tail. Solar radiation ionizes the gas, causing further brightening.