In this video, you will learn about the comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS). Its orbit is very close to a parabola, but it is still slightly hyperbolic. Therefore, if it survives its approach to the Sun, it will probably leave the Solar system. On January 13, 2025, at approximately 11:00 UTC, it will pass 14 million km from the center of the Sun at a speed of almost 140 km/s.
The orbit of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is very similar to the orbit of comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), which disintegrated near the Sun at the end of October 2024. Unlike the previous object, this comet will not come so close to the Sun, so it may well survive the passage of perihelion. The similarity of the orbits of the two comets hints at their common origin. Most likely, both of them belong to the Kreutz sungrazers and are fragments of the Great Comet of 1106.
As with other comets of the Kreutz sungrazers, good conditions for its observation are possible only in the Southern Hemisphere. It will be possible to try to see it in the morning sky a few days before the perihelion passage and for several evenings after that. The moment of its perihelion passage can theoretically be observed from the Northern Hemisphere. Despite the fact that it can reach the brightness of Venus, its proximity to the Sun at this moment is unlikely to make it visible in the daytime sky. Be careful when observing a comet: do not look at the Sun in any case, so as not to get a retinal burn.
Modeling and rendering were performed by author of this video using own software. Visualization of comet and its tail is also invented and implemented by the author of this video. The calculations took into account the mutual influence of the Sun, all the planets of the Solar System, the Moon and the comet on each other. Relativistic effects were also taken into account in the calculation. Non-gravitational effects associated with the comet nucleus matter evaporation were not taken into account. Throughout part of this video, the sizes of celestial bodies are shown to be greatly exaggerated compared to the distances between them.
The track Behind Your Window by Kai Engel sounds in this video. This track was not changed. Attribution 4.0 International license.
