Comet C/2023 E1 ATLAS near Perihelion
Image Credit &
Copyright:
Dan Bartlett
Comet C/2023 E1 (ATLAS)
was just spotted in March,
another comet found by the NASA funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last
Alert System.
On July 1 this Comet ATLAS reached perihelion,
its closest approach to the Sun.
Shortly afterwards the telescopic comet was
captured in this frame
sporting a pretty greenish coma
and faint, narrow ion tail against a background of stars in the
far northern constellation Ursa Minor.
This comet's closest approach to Earth is still to come though.
On August 18 this
visitor to the inner Solar System
will be a mere 3 light-minutes or so from our fair planet.
Based on its
inclination to the ecliptic plane
and orbital
period of about 85 years C/2023 E1 (ATLAS) is
considered a
Halley-type comet.