Atlas (C/2019 Y4), an enormous comet, is currently in Mars` orbit and is expected to come close to the Earth by the end of this month. It was first discovered on the 28th of December in Ursa Major and its diameter has reached 447.387 miles until now.

Its tail has the same size. It is big and bright and can be seen with binoculars. the comet got its name from the initials of the system that found it out: Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System.

It is becoming brighter as it approaches the Sun. it is as bright as the 8th or 9th magnitude star. Daniel Brown, an astronomy expert at the University of Nottingham Trent, stated that it will be brighter than Venus by the end of this month.

 

Right now, Atlas is the biggest green object in the Solar system. It falls between the Sun, whose diameter is 1.392.000 km, and Jupiter with a diameter of 139.820 km. It is expected for comets to grow large, as they spew great amounts of dust and gas into space, thus reaching enormous size.

In addition, its green color comes from diatomic carbon, a molecule found in comets.

Even though the comet`s atmosphere is big, it is expected to pass safely past the Earth at a distance of about 72 million miles.

Astronomers cannot predict how the comets will develop. We have to wait and see how Atlas will develop in the next few weeks. For stargazers, it will be the most amazing star show to observe this year.

 

Source/photos:  Daily Mail,  Space Weather Archive,  The Times