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Comet Atlas, observed on March 30, was relatively bright, while Comet Atlas, observed on April 17, was dark. Provided by Astronomical Party.
In December of last year, a comet “C / 2019 Y4 (ATLAS, Atlas)” was discovered, which rapidly increased in speed and brightness. It was discovered through ATLAS, an asteroid collision early warning system developed by the University of Hawaii and endorsed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Earlier this year, NASA predicted that this comet would be a large comet to illuminate the northern hemisphere night sky with a brightness comparable to that of Venus or Crescent from Comet Hale-Bob in 1997. From late April to late May It was expected to be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye in the western sky at sunset.
However, it was analyzed that the comet rapidly decreased its brightness from the beginning of April to the present. The official name of the comet is C / 2019 Y4, but it was generally called Comet Atlas according to the discoverer or system naming convention.
The Korean Astronomy Research Institute monitored the change of the comet and analyzed the observation data using the astronomical observation facility “ Electro-optical Monitoring System for Space Objects (OWL-Net) ” since the end of March, when the Comet Atlas is close to Earth. Launched As a result of the analysis, the comet’s central brightness was analyzed to be distorted in an elliptical shape and slightly deviated from the original orbit. It is speculated that Comet Atlas is dividing as it approaches the sun.
The comet has been the object of fear and wonder in the past. A comet, a small object that orbits the sun in an elliptical or parabolic orbit, is made up of dust, rocks, water-based ice, and frozen gas, unlike asteroids. Asteroids are made of rocks and more. Due to the composition of the comet, when it approaches the sun, the internal components melt and a greenish tail appears.
Comet Atlas orbit and current location (as of April 29), provided by NASA JPL
Comet Atlas has an orbital period of approximately 6,000 years and is currently between the orbits of Venus and Earth. It is likely that it will reach the closest point to Earth on May 23 and pass the closest point to the Sun on May 31, and then escape to the outskirts of the solar system.
Comet Atlas can now be seen with a telescope in the constellation Giraffe, which is located near the Big Dipper in the night sky, but is not visible to the naked eye. It is expected to move near Perseus in mid-May. A decrease in brightness was observed in early April, and additional observations revealed that the comet’s nucleus divided into four. NASA began providing orbital information for the four individual pieces, and on April 20, the Hubble Space Telescope image confirmed that the comet’s nucleus split at least 10.
OWL-Net de Astronomy, which observed the Comet Atlas at this time, is an observation system operated by the Astronomy Space Observation Center and is the first unmanned optical surveillance system in Korea to observe space objects around the Earth, like satellites, asteroids and space debris. There are stations in Korea, the United States, Israel, Morocco and Mongolia, and the Korea Astronomical Research Institute collects and collects data from five stations, and manages and operates them.
“With OWL-Net, Korea has the ability to independently acquire satellite orbit data that has depended on the United States,” said Chun Moon-yeon. “This system is used to monitor candidates for geostationary and space debris collisions on the Korean peninsula.” I’m doing “.
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