Passage Summary: A comet got incredibly bright in September, which usually means it's falling apart and releasing dust. However, even though scientists were watching it the whole time, they didn't see the actual physical break-up until two months later.

Reasoning: Astronomers attributed a massive spike in a comet's brightness in September to it breaking apart, yet they did not actually observe the comet splitting into pieces until November.

Analysis: The paradox here is the time gap between the 'symptom' of the breakup (the brightness) and the 'visual confirmation' of the breakup (the pieces). To resolve this, we need a reason why a comet could start releasing the gas and dust that causes brightness well before the fragments are large enough or far apart enough to be seen through a telescope. Look for an answer that explains why the physical separation might be invisible to observers for a period of time even after the process has begun.