C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)

C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) photographed on 21 November 2020
Discovery
Discovery siteATLAS–MLO (T08)
Discovery date27 June 2020
Designations
CK20M030
Orbital characteristics
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
TJupiter1.460
Earth MOID0.327 AU
Jupiter MOID0.886 AU
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
1.135 km (0.705 mi)
Comet total
magnitude (M1)		14.6
6.9
(2020 apparition)

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. It is one of many comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

Observational history

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. Observations in August 2020 revealed that the comet was about 4–5 magnitudes brighter than predicted.

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

Physical characteristics

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. It was determined that the comet had a typical composition compared to other comets, without any depletion of carbon-chain elements from its coma.

References

  1. ↑ H. Sato; S. Nakano; K. Yoshimoto (July 2020). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams (4808). Bibcode:2020CBET.4808....1S.
  2. 1 2 H. Sato; K. Yoshimoto; A. Valvasori (3 July 2020). "Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. 2020-N11.
  3. 1 2 "C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)". Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  5. ↑ Y. G. Kwon; D. W. Dahlen; J. R. Masiero; et al. (2026). "COSINE (Cometary Object Study Investigating their Nature and Evolution) II: Colors and Sizes of Comet Nuclei". arXiv:2609.32110 [astro-ph.EP].
  6. ↑ "Observation list for C/2020 M3". COBS – Comet OBServation database. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  7. 1 2 E. Irizarry (14 November 2020). "Comet C/2020 M3 (ATLAS) is closest November 14". EarthSky.org. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  8. ↑ M. Mattiazzo. "C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)". Southern Comets Homepage. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  9. ↑ M. Armstrong (18 November 2020). "See Comet ATLAS in the Evening Sky". Astronomy Now. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ K. Aravind (2022). Observational analysis of Cometary bodies in the Solar System (PDF) (Thesis). Physical Research Laboratory.
  13. ↑ 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.

Astronomy Pictures of the Day