Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), a sun grazing comet, is likely to completely disintegrate before its closest approach to the sun on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Observations suggest it is gradually breaking apart as it nears the sun.
When Comet ATLAS was discovered in September 2024 by the ATLAS project in Hawaii, there was excitement that it might evolve into a bright comet. This excitement was fuelled by its membership in the Kreutz family of comets, which has produced some historically bright comets.
An article published on Oct. 21 inaccurately suggested that Comet ATLAS could brighten enough to be visible during the day. However, experts have clarified that the comet is unlikely to become visible without optical aids and is in the process of breaking apart.
Observers report that Comet ATLAS remains dim, around magnitude +10, making it 40 times fainter than the faintest visible star to the naked eye. Some reports even suggest the comet has faded further in recent days as it approaches the sun.
On Oct. 28, Comet ATLAS will come within 341,000 miles (548,800 km) of the sun’s surface, where it will experience extreme temperatures and gravitational forces that could completely destroy it. The comet is expected to travel at speeds exceeding 1.6 million km per hour as it rounds the sun.
Comet ATLAS is part of a fragmented comet group from possibly over 1,000 years ago, with members of the Kreutz family historically producing bright tails. However, unlike some of its predecessors, ATLAS is unlikely to evolve into a spectacular display.
There is a small possibility that after its solar encounter, Comet ATLAS could leave behind a tail without a visible nucleus, similar to The Great Southern Comet of 1887 and Comet Lovejoy in 2011. If this occurs, observers might glimpse a faint, comet-like streak in the sky.
Those hoping to spot any remnants of Comet ATLAS may have the best chance during the early morning hours around Halloween, about an hour before sunrise. Observing with binoculars aimed at the east-southeast horizon could help detect a faint, glowing trail if the comet survives its close pass around the sun.