Comet C-2019 Y4 (ATLAS)

Another "dirty snowball" flies by the planet. Comet C-2019 Y4 (ATLAS) comes in for another visit to the inner solar system. At present, the comet is a...
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Another "dirty snowball" flies by the planet. Comet C-2019 Y4 (ATLAS) comes in for another visit to the inner solar system. At present, the comet is around 1.1AU from Earth, in the constellation of Ursa Major. With a perihelion of 0.25AU and an aphelion of 624.4AU, the comet's 312AU semi major axis means the comet's orbital period is around 5476 years. The last time the comet was in the vicinity of Earth was back in the early 4th Millennium BC. Because its orbit is very similar to that of the Great Comet of 1844, some believe that it maybe a chunk of that comet that broke off and is now following the larger object. The green colour of the comet's ion coma is due to the presence of Cyanide (CN) and double atomic Carbon (C2) in the gases surrounding the nucleus of the comet. A faint tail appears at PA 45-50degrees (roughly the 2 O'Clock position)

Pic was taken with t68 (iTelescope, NMSO), 5x2min subs.
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