Atlas is the name that scientists gave to an enormous comet that is currently near Mars’ orbit.
By the end of April, it is expected to be brighter than Venus for us Earthlings. Its brightness can be accredited to its massive size, as Atlas and its atmosphere is estimated to be 5 times as greater than Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system.
Pulled by the Sun’s gravity, Atlas is accelerating in speed. On its trajectory toward the Sun, it will be closest to Earth in late April. The massive atmosphere of the comet means that it will be one of the brightest objects in the sky. That has excited both professional amateur stargazers around the globe.
It is not common for people to have a chance to observe a comet with our naked eye. The last of such occurrence was in 1997, when the Hale-Bopp comet pictured above was observed by millions around the globe. Whether Atlas would retain its size and tail to remain as large is still not certain, but experts are hopeful.
The comet got its name from from the system that discovered it. It was first discovered in December 28, 2019 in Hawaii by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). While initially only visible via telescopes, Atlas is now observable through a binocular as it closes its distance.
There is no need to be afraid, however: the chances of this comet striking Earth are astronomically small. Instead, many are expecting it to brighten up our skies in the coming weeks. To borrow the words of astronomy expert Daniel Brown, expect the comet to look “really, really stunning”.
Exactly how bright the comet will be is of course still uncertain. Expert opinion ranges from barely visible without any binoculars to one of the brightest comets since scientific cataloguing began. The key variant that will determine brightness is the ice in the comet’s tail.
The reason why a comet brightens is because it is releasing gas as it moves through space. Think of it as a beautiful exhaust gas that coming out a vehicle. Whether it retains enough gas would determine how bright Atlas will be as it passes by our planet.
For us in the Northern hemisphere, the comet will be shooting through the sky in the north – northwest direction. When the night is dark, pull those old binoculars from our garage and gaze into the April sky. Who knows? Perhaps you will get a glimpse of a beauty that is literally out-of-this-world.
Are you excited for this cosmic event? Share you comments and thoughts, and be sure to follow us on Facebook as we wait for Atlas to pass by :)
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