&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:C2024_S1_ATLAS.png) The comet on 28 September 2024 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System-HKO (ATLAS) |
| Discovery date | 27 September 2024 |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch | 29 September 2024 |
| Observation arc | 4 days |
| Perihelion | 0.0082 AU |
| Eccentricity | 1.00014 |
| Inclination | 141.8° |
| 346.5° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 68.3° |
| Next perihelion | 28 October 2024 |
| Earth MOID | 0.51 AU |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 15.1 |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:C_2024_S1_(ATLAS)_%3D_A11bP7I.jpg)
C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) (previously had the temporary designation A11bP7I) is a sungrazing comet that was discovered by ATLAS-HKO in Hawaii on 27 September 2024. The comet will pass its perihelion on 28 October 2024, at a distance of about 0.008 AU (1.2 million km; 0.74 million mi) from the barycenter of the Solar System.[2] The comet has a similar orbit to the Kreutz sungrazers, which was created by the fragmentation of a larger comet. After perihelion it could become visible to the naked eye, and may look like C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy), another Kreutz sungrazer.[3]
The comet was discovered during the ATLAS survey, using a 0.5-m reflector telescope located at Haleakala, Hawaii. The comet then was estimated to have an apparent magnitude of 15.3 and featured a coma about a half arcminute across. Further observations reported the coma was as large as three arcminutes across and the tail up to 156 arcseconds long.[2] The comet had upon discovery a greenish color, probably due to the presence of diatomic carbon.[4] The apparent magnitude of the comet was variously reported to range from magnitude 16.9 up to 11.5.[2] The presence of the green coma indicated that it was closer to 11.5. A visual observation was reported with a 30-cm reflector telescope, with a reported magnitude of 11.7.[4] The comet upon discovery was located in the constellation of Hydra.[5]
The comet will be visible in the morning sky before perihelion, with better visibility from the southern hemisphere. During perihelion it could brighten to a magnitude of -5 to -7, which is brighter than the planet Venus.[6] If it survives perihelion it will be visible again in the morning night sky, more favorably located for the southern hemisphere.[5]
- ^ "Small-Body Database Lookup: C/2024 S1 (ATLAS)". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "MPEC 2024-T22 : COMET C/2024 S1 (ATLAS)". www.minorplanetcenter.net. Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Spaceweather.com Time Machine: Sep. 30, 2024". www.spaceweather.com. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ a b Green, Daniel (1 October 2024). "COMET C/2024 S1 (ATLAS)". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 5453: 1. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ a b James, Nick. "Interesting new sungrazing comet discovered – British Astronomical Association". British Astronomical Association. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ Kizer Whitt, Kelly (30 September 2024). "Wow! Another one! Big new sungrazer comet could get SUPER-bright". earthsky.org. Retrieved 2 October 2024.