Along with the Lyrid meteor shower visible for another week or so, a comet last seen by the ancient Egyptians is gracing the night sky right now. C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS), or Comet ATLAS, has an orbital period of about 5,000 years — and it’s coming to the end of a cycle right now.
Comets are small, icy celestial bodies that get warmer and release gases when passing close to the Sun. Called outgassing, this process produces a visible atmosphere (which sometimes includes a tail), that can be visible to the naked eye if circumstances line up accordingly.
Flickr/Chris Baird
C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS), colloquially known as Comet ATLAS, was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in late December of last year. It was the brightest comet of 2020 at one point, but has dimmed significantly since the observation was made.
Wikipedia/Martin Gembec
With an orbital period of about 5,000 years, Comet ATLAS was last seen by the Ancient Egyptians. It will be visible from Earth until May 31 – the date on which it reaches its nearest point to the Sun – before leaving the planetary region and starting the cycle all over again.
Flickr/Will Power
This graphic shows the comet’s trajectory with 7-day markers. Luckily, there will be a new moon on the date of its closest approach to earth (May 23), so the sky should be nice and dark!
Wikipedia/Tomruen
If you’re having trouble locating the comet, just look to the constellations. For the remainder of this month, it will be in Camelopardalis, which is shaped like a giraffe.
Wikipedia/Sidney Hall
On May 12, the celestial body will move into Perseus. Named after a Greek mythological hero, this group of stars can be found in the northern sky.
Wikipedia/Sidney Hall
While Comet ATLAS won’t be easy to spot with the naked eye, you don’t need a super fancy telescope, either. A small set of binoculars should do the trick just fine.
Flickr/Edith Soto
Click here to learn more.
Flickr/Chris Baird
Wikipedia/Martin Gembec
Flickr/Will Power
Wikipedia/Tomruen
Wikipedia/Sidney Hall
Flickr/Edith Soto
Have you spotted this ancient celestial body yet? If not, will you be keeping an eye out for it between now and the end of May? Let us know! Check out our previous article for more information about the meteor shower we mentioned earlier: Surges Of Up To 100 Meteors Per Hour Will Light Up The Arizona Skies During The 2020 Lyrid Meteor This April.
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