Unexpectedly for everyone, astronomers have discovered a huge comet, which is due to approach the orbit of the Earth and the inner planets of the solar system at the end of next month.
For the past year, astronomers have been tracking the comet ATLAS, which was supposed to travel all the way through the solar system, as it moved in the direction of the sun. However, observations last week showed that the comet was beginning to fall apart, dashing astronomers' hopes that they could observe ATLAS in close-up as it flew over Earth.
However, the other day, another new comet was discovered, which can fly to the orbit of the Earth, as well as Mercury and Venus. Comet SWAN (C / 2020 F8) was discovered on April 11. It is assumed that she, like ATLAS, will enter the orbit of Mercury at the end of May.
The comet was first discovered by Michael Mattiazzo of Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia, when he analyzed data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) SWAN instrument, hence the celestial body's name.
SWAN's job is to scan the solar system for hydrogen. Namely, the fact that the object is emitting a lot of this substance and allowed to designate a new comet. This is what Carl Buttams of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC noted in an interview with Space Weather:
“The fact that we were able to see Comet SWAN means that it is producing quite a significant amount of hydrogen. This usually occurs in the form of water ice. It is highly likely that Comet SWAN is in 'flash' mode. That is, from this small and faint comet, there was some kind of large eruption that released a huge cloud of hydrogen-rich volatiles. '
Astronomers note that if the flare continues at its current speed, this could mean that SWAN can be seen with the naked eye for a month. However, Mr. Buttams, who correctly predicted the death of ATLAS comet, believes that such a scenario is unlikely:
“I doubt the comet will retain its impressive appearance. Perhaps she will soon disappear altogether. However, now it is difficult to say, since we have only seen her for a couple of days. '
Previously, astronomers hoped that comet ATLAS could hold out until it was close enough to the Sun to be seen as a bright star in the sky, as bright as the planet Venus. However, recent observations showed that the comet began to disintegrate into fragments, and its brightness was rapidly decreasing.
