Wikipedia

C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)

For other comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, see Comet ATLAS.

C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) photographed on 21 November 2020
Discovery[1][2]
Discovery siteATLAS–MLO (T08)
Discovery date27 June 2020
Designations
CK20M030
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch26 November 2020 (JD 2459179.5)
Observation arc348 days
Number of
observations		2,344
Aphelion52.367 AU
Perihelion1.268 AU
Semi-major axis26.817 AU
Eccentricity0.95371
Orbital period138.87 years
Inclination23.474°
71.250°
Argument of
periapsis		328.45°
Mean anomaly0.223°
Last perihelion25 October 2020
Next perihelion~2159[3]
TJupiter1.460
Earth MOID0.327 AU
Jupiter MOID0.886 AU
Physical characteristics[4]
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		14.6
6.9
(2020 apparition)[5]

Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) is a Halley-type comet that passed within 0.358 AU (53.6 million km) from Earth on 14 November 2020.[6] It is one of many comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

Observational history

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The comet was first discovered on 27 June 2020 as an asteroid-like object by the 0.5 m (1.6 ft)-telescope at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii as part of the ATLAS survey.[2] Observations in August 2020 revealed that the comet was about 4–5 magnitudes brighter than predicted.[7]

By 8 November 2020, the comet was seen a few degrees east of the Horseshoe and Orion Nebulae.[8] It passed closest to Earth at a distance of 0.358 AU (53.6 million km) on 14 November.[6] By 25 November, the comet was passing through the constellation Taurus, near the Crab Nebula's position.[9]

Physical characteristics

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Observations conducted by the TRAPPIST-North telescope at the Oukaïmeden Observatory in Morocco were used to determine the comet's dust production and chemical composition.[10] It was determined that the comet had a typical composition compared to other comets, without any depletion of carbon-chain elements from its coma.[11][12]

References

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  1. ^ H. Sato; S. Nakano; K. Yoshimoto (July 2020). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 4808. Bibcode:2020CBET.4808....1S.
  2. ^ a b H. Sato; K. Yoshimoto; A. Valvasori (3 July 2020). "Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. 2020-N11.
  3. ^ "Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)". Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b "C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Observation list for C/2020 M3". COBS – Comet OBServation database. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b E. Irizarry (14 November 2020). "Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) is closest November 14". EarthSky.org. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  7. ^ M. Mattiazzo. "C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)". Southern Comets Homepage. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  8. ^ M. Armstrong (18 November 2020). "See Comet ATLAS in the Evening Sky". Astronomy Now. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  9. ^ A. Potts (26 November 2020). "M3 the Comet meets M1 the Supernova Remnant (C/2020 M3 ATLAS on 25th Nov)". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  10. ^ E. Jehin; Y. Moulane; J. Manfroid; F. Pozuelos; D. Hutsemekers (2020). "TRAPPIST comet production rates: 88/Howell, C/2020 M3 (ATLAS), C/2020 S3 (Erasmus), 156P/Russell-LINEAR". The Astronomer's Telegram. 14101. Bibcode:2020ATel14101....1J.
  11. ^ K. Aravind (2022). Observational analysis of Cometary bodies in the Solar System (PDF) (Thesis). Physical Research Laboratory.
  12. ^ S. Hmiddouch; Y. Moulane; M. Vander Donckt; E. Jehin; et al. (14 March 2022). "Composition and Activity of Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) with the TRAPPIST-North Telescope" (PDF). African Astronomical Society. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
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