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The latest asteroid ground impact alert system (ATLAS) is an asteroid collision early warning system developed by the University of Hawaii and endorsed by NASA. Comet C / 2019 Y4 (ATLAS, Atlas), discovered in December last year through this system, was rather weak at the time of discovery, but as it got closer to Earth, it accelerated rapidly and increased brightness . As expected by NASA’s JPL Horizons earlier this year, it was expected to be a large comet to illuminate the northern hemisphere night sky with a brightness comparable to that of Venus or Crescent since Comet Hale-Bob in 1997, and the western sky from late April to late May Expected to be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. However, from early April to the present, the comet’s brightness is declining rapidly.
The Korean Astronomy Research Institute monitored the comet’s change by using the OWL-Net (Optical Wide-field channel Network), the Astronomy observation facility since the end of March, when Comet Atlas was close to Earth. As a result of analyzing observational data, the central brightness of the comet is distorted in an elliptical shape, and because the situation deviates slightly from the original orbit, the comet Atlas is estimated to divide as it approaches the sun and free reconstructed videos and photos.
Comet Atlas (C / 2019 Y4) ?!
The comet, which has been the object of fear and wonder in the past, is a small object that orbits the sun in an elliptical or parabolic orbit. The main difference between asteroids is that, unlike asteroids, which consist of rocks (stones), comets are made of dust and rocks, water-based ice, and frozen gas. Because of this, when the comet approaches the sun, the internal components melt and leave a tail like a green light.
Comet Atlas, which returns to its orbit about 6,000 years ago, is now between Venus-Earth orbit. It will board the closest point on Earth on May 23, pass through the closest point to the Sun on May 31, and then escape to the outer periphery of the solar system. Comet Atlas is currently visible through telescopes in the constellation Giraffe, which is located near the Big Dipper in the night sky, and is not visible to the naked eye. It is expected to move near Perseus in mid-May.
Comet Atlas was observed to decrease in brightness in early April, and other observations indicate that the comet has divided into four nuclei. Consequently, NASA’s JPL Horizon began providing orbital information for 4 individual pieces (A, B, C, D) and, as a result of the Hubble Space Telescope shot on April 20, the comet’s nucleus split into al minus 10. It was confirmed.
What is OWL-Net (Electro-Optical Space Object Monitoring System)?
The OWL-Net (an electro-optical space object monitoring system), which photographed the comet, is an observation system operated by the Space Risk Monitoring Center of the Korea Astronomical Research Institute. This is a surveillance system only. Each station is located in Korea, the United States, Israel, Morocco and Mongolia, and the Korea Astronomical Research Institute collects and compiles data from five stations to manage and operate it. Each system consists of a 50 cm wide field telescope, a CCD camera, and a high-speed satellite tracking bracket.
Due to OWL-Net, Korea has the ability to independently acquire US-dependent satellite orbit data, and use this system to monitor collision candidates for geostationary and space debris on the Korean Peninsula.
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