Now that we have everyone excited about the Mars occultation tomorrow, here is another exciting visitor from space putting on a show as we speak.
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is closing in on the Sun for perihelion on Jan 13, 10:17 UTC.
Currently at mag -3.0, it will brighten to mag -3.6.
But it is difficult to observe from the Northern hemisphere. It will be difficult even after perihelion, assuming it survives this grazing trip around the Sun.
https://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comet/2024G3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2024_G3_(ATLAS)
1/n
Here is a still from a simulation of C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) by French optical engineer and amateur photographer Nicolas Lefaudeux.
The website shows a multi-day visualization of the comet as it survives perihelion and develops a bright tail that persists for several days thereafter.
Check out the website for the full visualization - https://hdr-astrophotography.com/
Credit: Nicolas Lefaudeux
3/n
Here is the latest image of the Sun's corona taken by the NASA/ESA SOHO spacecraft with Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) in the view, 2 hours before perihelion.
The image was taken by the Large Angle and Spectrometric COronagraph (LASCO) instrument aboard the NASA/ESA SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft.
You can see a time-lapse video at https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/lasco-coronagraph
Did Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) survive its close flyby of the Sun?
Perhaps, it did.
Here is an image of the Sun's corona taken by the NASA/ESA SOHO spacecraft with Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) in the view, about 15 hours after perihelion.
The image was taken by the Large Angle and Spectrometric COronagraph (LASCO) instrument aboard the NASA/ESA SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft.
25 hours after perihelion, Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) looks like a space plane headed for Earth with a large exhaust tail behind it, as seen in this image of the Sun's corona taken by the NASA/ESA SOHO spacecraft.
The image was taken by the Large Angle and Spectrometric COronagraph (LASCO) instrument aboard the NASA/ESA SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft.
One can see why Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will be difficult to observe from the northern hemisphere, given its location relative to the Sun as seen from a vantage point in the northern hemisphere.
Ideally, you want the comet to be located sufficiently above or below the Sun, but in the case of New York, it is located just slightly above the Sun for a few days and to the side after that.
Sydney OTOH has a much favorable view of the comet as seen below.
Here is an outstanding pic of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) taken by astronomer and nightscape photographer Yuri Beletsky in the southern hemisphere from the ESO observatory in Paranal in the Atacama desert in Chile.
Canon R6 + 70-200/2.8 @ 200mm, 15 x 1 sec
https://www.instagram.com/p/DE7_iz5JbQM/
Yuri's artwork is available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/yuri-beletsky/shop
Here is another wow pic of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) taken by astronomer and nightscape photographer Yuri Beletsky on January 17 from the ESO Paranal observatory in the Atacama desert in Chile.
Canon R6 + 70-200/2.8 @ 200mm, 45 x 2 sec
https://www.instagram.com/p/DE9f8wPRAkI/
Yuri's artwork is available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/yuri-beletsky/shop
Credit: Yuri Beletsky
9/n
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is putting on quite a show in the evening sky!
This is yet another eye-popping pic of the comet by astronomer and nightscape photographer Yuri Beletsky taken on Jan 18 from the ESO Paranal observatory in the Atacama desert in Chile.
Canon R6 + 70-200/2.8 @ 85mm, 6 x 20 sec
Tail - 10-12°
Wouldn't be surprised to see it featured on NASA APOD soon.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFADpTMO1SD/
Yuri's artwork is available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/yuri-beletsky/shop
Credit: Yuri Beletsky
10/n
One more wonderful artistic pic of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) - this one by photographer Luc Perrot, taken earlier this evening from a hilltop at the Reunion Island, in the southern hemisphere, east of Madagascar.
More at his website https://www.lucperrot.fr/
and at https://www.instagram.com/luc_perrot/
11/n
Today's NASA APOD features another impressive image of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) taken from Brasília, Brazil on Jan 17.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Image Credit: Frederico Danin
12/n
Astronomer and nightscape photographer Yuri Beletsky today posted yet another gem of an image of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), taken on Jan 19 from the ESO Paranal observatory in the Atacama desert in Chile.
Probably taken using his trusty Canon R6 and a 70 mm lens (mentioned by him).
His images certainly deserve to be featured on NASA APOD.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFF3LKtpIz4/
Yuri's artwork is available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/yuri-beletsky/shop
Credit: Yuri Beletsky
13/n
As we anticipated, astronomer and nightscape photographer Yuri Beletsky's stunning image of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is featured on today's Astronomy Picture of the Day.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Image Credit & Copyright: Yuri Beletsky (Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory, TWAN)
Yuri's artwork is available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/yuri-beletsky/shop
14/n
But Yuri Beletsky is not done yet. And neither is comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS).
Here is yet another stunning image of the departing comet in the crimson evening sky behind the dome of the 6.5-m Magellan Telescope at Carnegie’s Las Campanas Observatory in the Atacama Desert, Chile,.
The pic was taken on January 22 using "Canon R6 + 70-200/2.8, 10 x 20 sec."
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFN0amIp8R_/
Yuri's artwork is available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/yuri-beletsky/shop
Credit: Yuri Beletsky
14/n
Here is the current location and brightness metric of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS).
There is plenty of evidence that the comet has fragmented and disintegrated. It has still retained its magnificent tail and is now a "headless" comet similar to Comet Lovejoy in 2011.
https://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comet/2024G3
Story on disintegration at https://skyandtelescope.org/uncategorized/comet-atlas-caught-in-the-act-of-disintegration/
#Comet
15/n
Here is another beautiful image of the departing comet C/2024 G3 taken atop Cerro Pachón, in the foothills of the Chilean Andes, next to 3 NOIRLab-supported telescopes.
1. The Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR) in the foreground.
2. Gemini South in the far left
3. The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory in the center of the image.
https://noirlab.edu/public/images/iotw2505a/
Credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/C. Corco
#Comet
16/n
@AkaSci Who needs a head? ;-) Currently the comet has a naked-eye (!) tail length of 15° in really dark places like the Aussie outback. Wonder how that compares to the longest visual tail lengths reported under perfect conditions for Tsuchinshan-ATLAS 2024, NEOWISE 2020 and PANSTARRS 2013.
I just read that the comet has now broken up. Is that true?
There is much evidence that comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)'s nucleus has indeed disintegrated, but the tail survives.
Take a look at post #15 in this thread and the 2nd link in the post.