Astronaut Don Pettit, part of Expedition 72 crew, recently captured stunning images of Comet ATLAS as it approached the sun. The comet, now visible in the constellation Sagittarius, is predicted to be one of the brightest of the year due to its close encounter with the star.
Comet ATLAS is an enormous ball of ice, dust, and rock that formed about 4.6 billion years ago in the outer solar system. As it draws closer to the sun, its ice disintegrates, creating a signature tail millions of miles long. This phenomenon makes comets time capsules of the ancient solar system, providing valuable insights into the early days of planet formation.
The comet is believed to originate from the Oort Cloud, a distant realm surrounding the solar system. If it survives its close encounter with the sun, Comet ATLAS may return in about 160,000 years. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, stargazers may have a chance to see the comet above the western horizon shortly after sunset.
As the comet exits the sun’s intense glare, it becomes easier to spot, and NASA hopes that it will survive its close pass near the Sun. The comet is currently visible in Sagittarius, but be warned: never stare directly at the sun without protective eyewear.
Source: https://mashable.com/article/comet-c2024-g3-atlas-nasa-astronaut-space-image