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Comet ATLAS is getting really bright


Eldorado

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"For years, amateur astronomers have been waiting for a bright, naked-eye comet to pass by Earth — and finally, such an object may have arrived.

"The possible celestial showpiece is known as Comet ATLAS, or C/2019 Y4.

"When it was discovered on Dec. 28, 2019, it was quite faint, but since then, it has been brightening so rapidly that astronomers have high hopes for the spectacle it could put on.

"But given the tricky nature of comets, skywatchers are also being cautious not to get their hopes up, knowing that the comet may fizzle out."

Full monty at Space dot com: Link

And the UK Mail: Link

Comet Atlas: Wikipedia

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29 minutes ago, Eldorado said:

"For years, amateur astronomers have been waiting for a bright, naked-eye comet to pass by Earth — and finally, such an object may have arrived.

OMG!! IT'S WORMWOOD!! THE END IS NIGH!!!!!! :unsure2:

I'll send you a can of Asian orange yeast. :yes:.

..........and a package of chicken I no longer have a appetite for. :angry:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Comet ATLAS might reach a visual magnitude of +5 around May 1, 2020. That is theoretically bright enough to be seen with the eye.

Calculations by NASA/JPL indicate Comet ATLAS takes some 6,025 years to complete an orbit around the sun. Observations show it has a similar orbit to the Great Comet of 1844, which suggest Comet ATLAS may be a fragment of the same 1844 comet.

The comet itself is likely only a few kilometres wide, but its atmosphere has ballooned to a staggering 720,000 kilometres (447,387 miles) wide - about half as wide as the Sun.

https://earthsky.org/space/how-to-see-bright-comet-c-2019-y4-atlas

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1259651/comet-atlas-astronomy-news-space-solar-system-comets-space

Edited by L.A.T.1961
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