C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
{{Short description|Non-periodic comet}}
{{For|other comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System|Comet ATLAS (disambiguation){{!}}Comet ATLAS}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox comet
| name = C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
| image = C2024 G3 (ATLAS) - 54297867149.jpg
| caption = Comet ATLAS photographed on 25 January 2025
| discovery_ref = {{r|MPEC_2024-H22|Yoshida_2024}}
| discoverer = Tyler Linder
| discovery_site = ATLAS–CHL (W68)
| discovery_date = 5 April 2024
| orbit_ref = {{r|Horizons|jpl}}
| observation_arc = 267 days
| obs = 294
| epoch = Present: 16 June 2024 (JD 2460477.5)
Inbound: 1 January 1800 (JD 2378496.5)
Outbound: 1 January 2200 (JD 2524593.5)
| perihelion = 0.093 AU
| aphelion = 6,391 AU (Inbound)
14,234 AU (Outbound)
| eccentricity = 0.999970 (Inbound)
1.000013 (Present)
0.999987 (Outbound)
| semimajor = 3,196 AU (Inbound)
7,117 AU (Outbound)
| period = ≈180,000 years (Inbound)
≈600,000 years (Outbound)
| inclination = 116.851°
| asc_node = 220.331°
| arg_peri = 108.125°
| mean = –0.0003°
| tjup =
| Earth_moid = 0.483 AU
| Jupiter_moid = 3.837 AU
| physical_ref = {{r|jpl|cobs_2024g3}}
| M1 = 7.6
| M2 = 12.4
| magnitude = –3.8
{{small|(2025 apparition)}}
| last_p = 13 January 2025
| next_p =
}}
C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is a partially disintegrated non-periodic comet, which reached perihelion on 13 January 2025, at a distance of {{convert|0.09|AU|e6km|abbr=unit}} from the Sun.
Dubbed the Great Comet of 2025, it is currently the brightest comet of 2025,{{r|starwalk1}} with an apparent magnitude reaching −3.8 on the day of its perihelion.{{r|cobs_2024g3}} The comet was visible in the southern hemisphere before and after perihelion. It was only observed in the daytime sky around perihelion in the northern hemisphere.{{r|discmag1}}
Observational history
The comet was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey on 5 April 2024, in images obtained with a 0.5-m reflector telescope located in Río Hurtado, Chile. The comet at the time was a magnitude 19 object about {{convert|4.38|AU|e6km|abbr=unit}} from Earth. Further observations indicated it had a diffuse coma about 4.5 arcseconds across and a straight tail.{{r|MPEC_2024-H22}}
By 30 October 2024, the comet had an apparent magnitude of 11.9 per reported observations at the Comet Observation Database (COBS),{{r|cobs_2024g3}} visible with large telescopes. By mid December 2024 it had brightened to 8th magnitude and was located in Scorpius, visible at dawn in the southern and equatorial regions.{{r|King_2024}} By the end of the month, its magnitude was reported to be between 5 and 5.5, having a coma about two arcminutes across and a tail up to 18 arcminutes long.{{r|cobs_2024g3}}
On 2 January 2025, Terry Lovejoy reported that the comet experienced an outburst,{{r|groups.io}} estimating its magnitude to be 3.7 photographically and 3.2 visually. On 3 January the comet had brightened to a magnitude of 2–2.4. The comet was reported to have a nuclear shadow, a dark lane in the tail, and was marginally visible with naked eye on that day.{{r|CBET_5488}} On 7 January the comet was reported to be of first magnitude, with a tail about 20 arcminutes long.{{r|cobs_2024g3}} The comet was photographed by cosmonaut Ivan Vagner onboard the International Space Station on 10 January.{{r|tass_20250110}} The comet was also observed aboard the station by astronaut Donald Pettit on the following day.{{r|Tripathi_2025|Pettit_20250111}}
The comet entered the field of view of the LASCO C3 coronograph on SOHO on 11 January and was visible until 15 January.{{r|Rao_2025a}} In case of this comet, it was very difficult to predict peak brightness (spread more than 10 mag). G. van Buitenen predicted −4 magnitude, accounting for forward scattering, however it was just 5 degrees from Sun at peak magnitude.{{r|Van_Buitenen_2024}} The comet became bright enough to photograph in broad daylight,{{r|sweather-20250113|sweather-20250114}} and was reported to be visible with the naked eye.{{r|King_2025a}} This made the comet the fifth comet in the last 100 years to have been observed in the daylight with the naked eye, joining Skjellerup-Maristany in 1927, Ikeya-Seki in 1965, West in 1976, and McNaught in 2007.{{r|Rao_2025b}} After perihelion the comet headed southwards, while in mid northern latitudes was low, being 2 degrees above the horizon at the end of the civil twilight.{{r|King_2024}}
After perihelion the comet reappeared in the southern hemisphere. It became clearly visible with naked eye and on 18 January its tail was reported to be 4 degrees long, while its magnitude was estimated to be −0.9.{{r|cobs_2024g3}} However, on 19 January, Hungarian astrophotographer Lionel Majzik reported that a bright streamer appeared within the tail while its head became less prominent, indicating that the comet could have disintegrated.{{r|sweather-20250120|King_2025b}} Reports of an earlier fragmentation event were recorded as early as 12 January,{{r|Saji_20250112}} and while the exact cause of the comet's breakup were currently unknown, it is likely that intense solar heating during perihelion had caused jetting and outgassing from the nucleus, leading to its eventual fragmentation.{{r|King_2025b}} Despite this, the comet retained the shape of its tail, now resulting in a "headless" comet similar to Comet Lovejoy in 2011.{{r|King_2025b}}
John Bortle considers the comet due to its brightness and night time appearance as the Great Comet of 2025.{{r|Bortle_2025|Rao_2025b}}
Orbit
At the time of discovery, it was assumed that this was a new comet from the Oort cloud, and with an absolute magnitude (H=9), there was very little to no chance that it would survive perihelion.{{r|Mattiazzo_2024|orbital1}} But as the orbit was refined, it was found to be likely a dynamically old comet, having made close approaches to the Sun before.{{r|ALPO_2024-11}}
Some media report C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) approaches the Sun once every 160,000 years.{{r|Tripathi_2025|Cuthbertson_2025|Khalil_2025}} However, according to long-term orbital calculations by the JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System, after approach to the Sun in 2025, aphelion distance of the comet will be more than twice as far away as before, and its orbital period will be about 600,000 years.{{r|Horizons}}
Gallery
File:C2024 G3 (ATLAS) from the ISS by D. Pettit, 11-1-2025 (crop).jpg|On 11 January, taken by Donald Pettit aboard the ISS.
File:C2024G3 2025-01-11 (crop).jpg|On 11 January from Crete, Greece.
File:STEREO C2024G3 (ATLAS) 20250115 234131 s4h1A.jpg|On 15 January taken by the STEREO-A probe.
File:Comet C2024 G3 jan18 1-CC.jpg|On 18 January from La Serena, Chile.
File:A colourful view of comet C-2024 G3 (ATLAS) (potw2505d).jpg|On 19 January from the Paranal Observatory, Chile.
File:Cometa C2024 por Bruno Garcia.jpg|On 20 January from Itauçu, Brazil.
File:C2024 G3 over Porirua, New Zealand.jpg|On 21 January from Porirua, New Zealand.
File:Comet C 2024 G3 (ATLAS) (54280020869).jpg|On 21 January from Mallacoota, Australia.
File:Punta de Lobos, y el cometa.jpg|On 21 January from Punta de Lobos, Chile.
File:Cometa C2024G3 22 de enero de 2025 Esteban J ANDRADA.jpg|On 22 January from Mar del Plata, Argentina.
See also
- C/1910 A1, the Great January Comet of 1910, also a daylight comet.
- C/1962 C1 (Seki–Lines), a bright comet that John Bortle compared its similarity in appearance to C/2024 G3.{{r|Bortle_2025}}
- C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy), a bright Kreutz sungrazer comet that also disintegrated after perihelion.
- C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), a comet that became visible to the naked eye about three months before C/2024 G3.
References
{{reflist|refs=
| title= ALPO Comet News for NOV 2024
| url= https://alpo-astronomy.org/content/Comets/Newsletters/2024-11.pdf
| website= www.alpo-astronomy.org
| publisher= Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers
| access-date= 18 November 2024 }}
| author1= J. E. Bortle
| title= ICQ Comet Observations
| url= https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DsXMje23F/
| website= Facebook
| date= 18 January 2025
| access-date= 28 January 2025 }}
| author1= D. W. Green
| title= Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
| url= http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iau/cbet/005400/CBET005488.txt
| journal= Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
| volume= 5488
| date= 4 January 2025 }}
| title= Observation list for C/2024 G3
| url= https://cobs.si/obs_list?id=2525
| website= COBS – Comet OBServation database
| access-date= 14 November 2024 }}
| author1= A. Cuthbertson
| title= Brightest comet in 20 years to appear this week
| url= https://www.independent.co.uk/space/comet-g3-atlas-2025-venus-b2678430.html
| website= The Independent
| date= 13 January 2025
| access-date= 14 January 2025 }}
| author1= A. Hurt
| title= Missed the Comet C/2023 A3? Don't Worry, Here are Other Comets to Look For
| url= https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/missed-the-comet-c-2023-a3-dont-worry-here-are-other-comets-to-look-for
| website= Discover Magazine
| date= 16 November 2024
| access-date= 19 November 2024 }}
| author1= T. Lovejoy
| title= C/2024 G3 in outburst? – Jan 2.76, 2025 UT
| url= https://groups.io/g/comets-ml/topic/c_2024_g3_in_outburst_jan/110395805
| website= Groups.io
| date= 3 January 2025
| access-date= 4 January 2025 }}
| title= Barycentric Osculating Orbital Elements for Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) in epoch 1800 and 2200
| url= https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=%272024+G3%27&TABLE_TYPE=%27ELEMENTS%27&START_TIME=%271800-01-01%27&STOP_TIME=%272200-01-01%27&STEP_SIZE=%27400%20years%27&CENTER=%27@0%27&OUT_UNITS=%27AU-D%27
| website= JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System
| publisher= Jet Propulsion Laboratory
| accessdate= 14 January 2025 }} (Solution using the Solar System's barycenter (Sun+Jupiter). Select Ephemeris Type:Elements and Center:@0)
| title= C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup
| url= https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=2024G3
| website= ssd.jpl.nasa.gov
| publisher= Jet Propulsion Laboratory
| access-date= 12 November 2024 }}
| author1= H. Khalil
| title= Rare comet may be visible for first time in 160,000 years
| url= https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvge4e7dzxyo
| publisher= BBC
| date= 14 January 2025
| access-date= 15 January 2025 }}
| author1= B. King
| title= Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) Kicks off the New Year — What to Expect
| url= https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/comet-atlas-c-2024-g3-kicks-off-the-new-year-what-to-expect/
| website= Sky & Telescope
| date= 18 December 2024
| access-date= 22 December 2024 }}
| author1= B. King
| title= Grab Your Binoculars for Comet ATLAS's Brief Sunset Show
| url= https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/grab-your-binoculars-for-comet-atlass-brief-sunset-show/
| website= Sky & Telescope
| date= 15 January 2025
| access-date= 18 January 2025 }}
| author1= B. King
| title= Comet ATLAS caught in the Act of Disintegration
| url= https://skyandtelescope.org/uncategorized/comet-atlas-caught-in-the-act-of-disintegration/
| website= Sky & Telescope
| date= 20 January 2025
| access-date= 21 January 2025 }}
| author1= M. Mattiazzo
| title= 2024G3
| url= https://southerncomets.info/webpage/2024G3_ATLAS.htm
| website= Southern Comets Homepage
| access-date= 19 November 2024 }}
| author1= T. Linder
| title= MPEC 2024-H22 : Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
| url= https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K24/K24H22.html
| website= www.minorplanetcenter.net
| publisher= Minor Planet Center
| date= 18 April 2024
| access-date= 16 November 2024 }}
| title= Unveiling Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS): A Bright Celestial Wanderer To See In 2025
| url= https://orbitaltoday.com/2024/06/21/unveiling-comet-c-2024-g3-atlas-a-bright-celestial-wanderer-to-see-in-2025/
| website= Orbital Today
| date= 21 June 2024
| access-date= 19 November 2024 }}
| author= D. Pettit
| user= astro_Pettit
| number= 1877963226530349168
| title= It is totally amazing to see a comet from orbit. ATLAS (C/2024 G3) is paying us a visit. }}
| author1= J. Rao
| title= Once-in-a-160000-year comet G3 ATLAS could shine as bright as Venus next week. Here's what to expect.
| url= https://www.space.com/the-universe/comets/once-in-a-160000-year-comet-g3-atlas-could-shine-as-bright-as-venus-next-week-heres-what-to-expect
| website= Space.com
| date= 9 January 2025
| access-date= 14 January 2025 }}
| author1= J. Rao
| title= Why Comet G3 (ATLAS) will be 'remembered as the Great Comet of 2025' (photos)
| url= https://www.space.com/the-universe/comets/why-comet-g3-atlas-will-be-remembered-as-the-great-comet-of-2025-photos
| website= Space.com
| date= 27 January 2025
| access-date= 28 January 2025 }}
| author= 鳥取市さじアストロパーク
| user= SajiAstropark
| number= 1878267812893913493
| title= 先ほど10時22分、103cm望遠鏡で昼間のアトラス彗星C/2024 G3(ATLAS)を撮影したところ、彗星核の南4.5秒に分裂核と思われるものをとらえました !
| trans-title= Just now at 10:22, I photographed Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) during the day with a 103cm telescope, and caught what appears to be a fragment nucleus 4.5 seconds south of the comet nucleus!
| language= ja }}
| title= C/2024 G3 (ATLAS): Brightest Comet of 2025?
| url= https://starwalk.space/en/news/comet-g3-atlas
| website= StarWalk
| date= 14 June 2024 }}
| title= Spaceweather Time Machine: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2025
| url= https://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=13&month=01&year=2025
| website= www.spaceweather.com
| access-date= 14 January 2025 }}
| title= Spaceweather Time Machine: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025
| url= https://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=14&month=01&year=2025
| website= www.spaceweather.com
| access-date= 14 January 2025 }}
| title= Spaceweather Time Machine: Monday, Jan. 20, 2025
| url= https://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=20&month=01&year=2025
| website= www.spaceweather.com
| access-date= 20 January 2025 }}
| title= Космонавт Вагнер сфотографировал комету C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
| trans-title= Cosmonaut Wagner photographed comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
| url= https://tass.ru/kosmos/22846529
| newspaper= TACC
| date= 10 January 2025
| access-date= 11 January 2025
| language= ru }}
| author1= S. K. Tripathi
| title= Once-in-a-lifetime Comet visible tonight. It won't return for 160,000 years
| url= https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/once-in-a-lifetime-comet-g3-atlas-c2024-visible-tonight-it-will-not-return-for-160000-years-2663880-2025-01-13
| newspaper= India Today
| date= 13 January 2025
| access-date= 14 January 2025 }}
| author1= G. van Buitenen
| title= C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
| url= http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comet/2024G3
| website= astro.vanbuitenen.nl
| access-date= 15 November 2024 }}
| author1= S. Yoshida
| title= C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
| url= http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2024G3/2024G3.html
| website= www.aerith.net
| access-date= 12 November 2024 }}
}}
External links
- {{JPL Small Body|id=1003993}}
- [https://hdr-astrophotography.com/comet-tails-simulations/ HDR Astrophotography: Comet tails simulations] by Nicolas Lefaudeux
= Astronomy Pictures of the Day =
- {{APOD|date=13 January 2025|title=Comet ATLAS Before Sunrise}}
- {{APOD|date=20 January 2025|title=Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun}}
- {{APOD|date=21 January 2025|title=Comet ATLAS over Brasilia}}
- {{APOD|date=24 January 2025|title=Comet G3 ATLAS: a Tail and a Telescope}}
- {{APOD|date=26 January 2025|title=The Many Tails of Comet G3 ATLAS}}
- {{APOD|date=28 January 2025|title=Comet G3 ATLAS over Uruguay}}
{{Comets}}
{{2025 in space}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:ATLAS, 2024 G3}}