                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2023 July 14

                    Comet C/2023 E1 ATLAS near Perihelion
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett

   Explanation: Comet C/2023 E1 (ATLAS) was just spotted in March, another
   comet found by the NASA funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert
   System. On July 1 this Comet ATLAS reached perihelion, its closest
   approach to the Sun. Shortly afterwards the telescopic comet was
   captured in this frame sporting a pretty greenish coma and faint,
   narrow ion tail against a background of stars in the far northern
   constellation Ursa Minor. This comet's closest approach to Earth is
   still to come though. On August 18 this visitor to the inner Solar
   System will be a mere 3 light-minutes or so from our fair planet. Based
   on its inclination to the ecliptic plane and orbital period of about 85
   years C/2023 E1 (ATLAS) is considered a Halley-type comet.

                      Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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