The Many Tails of Comet G3 ATLAS

Why does this comet fetch so many tails? C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) has developed a entire lot of long and complicated tails visible from Earth’s southern hemisphere over the last two weeks. Many observers reported seeing the impressive comet without any optical support above the western horizon lawful after sunset. Now not lower than six assorted tails appear in the featured picture captured five days ago from the darkish skies above Paranal Observatory in Chile. One doable motive for the a pair of tails is dust and gasoline being expelled from the comet’s rotating nucleus. The outward push of the Sun’s complex solar wind would possibly well furthermore play a activity. The broad iceberg-admire nucleus of Comet ATLAS appears to be like to fetch broken up advance its closest skill to the Sun two weeks ago. Sadly, Comet ATLAS and its tails are anticipated to proceed vastly over the impending weeks. Your Sky Shock: What picture did APOD feature for your birthday? (publish 1995)