Comet ATLAS C/2019 Y4 (04/04/20)

Finally had some clear skies (although with a 60% Moon) and a chance to photograph comet Atlas also called comet Doom by some.
Manage to capture this with my very basic equipment. dslr camera, small refracting telescope(430mm focal length) and a simple star tracker.
I was hoping it to be a bit brighter this time of year but the tail is just visible. Slightly better as comet C/2017 T2 PanStarss I photographed a few months ago.
I'll be keeping a eye on them and hopefully there will be a better 'show' next month, in terms of its tail getting brighter when it gets closer to the Sun and not from a (implausible) speculated impact.

Comet Atlas with dwarf galaxy NGC 2366 in the right corner. Looks like a dustspot with a bright blue star.

Comet Atlas slightly cropped and added some cosmetic starspikes

Comet Atlas tracked stacked frame (shows the tail a bit better here)

Short timelapse gif from all the frames(+3hrs) (quality and size reduced for upload)

a reply to: intergalactic fire
Nice shots!

From what I've read, that comet is a behemoth, about one half the size of Sol.

ETA: Correction...the "atmosphere" is about half the size of the sun. Missed a word.

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: intergalactic fire
Nice shots!

From what I've read, that comet is a behemoth, about one half the size of Sol.

That can't be true?

Good job. Thanks for posting your own work, too.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

The coma is large. But not unusually so. We don't know how big the actual nucleus is.
Coma

a reply to: intergalactic fire

Beautiful. I'm going to have to dig out my telescope and familiarize myself with how to use it again. I wonder if there's an app for it now. Lol

We gon die.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Wide-Eyes

The coma is large. But not unusually so. We don't know how big the nucleus is.
Coma

That's a home page, I wouldn't know where to start looking.

a reply to: Phage

Ah okay, thanks for fixing.

a reply to: Phage

Millions of miles in the tail. What effect will that have on Earth if we glide through it?

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Wide-Eyes

The coma is large. But not unusually so. We don't know how big the actual nucleus is.
Coma

The nucleus of the comet is 10 km in diameter while the gases around it spread a few miles across.

Source
Not sure of the accuracy, but I have read this in more than a few places.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: intergalactic fire
Nice shots!

From what I've read, that comet is a behemoth, about one half the size of Sol.

That can't be true?

You're right. It isn't. It's the atmosphere that is so large.

a reply to: Klassified

I would be interested in learning how Abhijit Patil determined those dimensions.

OP? Your thoughts?

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Millions of miles in the tail. What effect will that have on Earth if we glide through it?

We won't.

Not much. That's what meteor showers are. The tail of a comet in orbit around the Sun and we pass through it each year. But this comet will not cross the Earth's orbit so, not even that.

I am hoping to search for it with the telescope soon. It night be a little faint and locally there is too much light pollution as well as the waxing moon. Soon though, last I checked is was a magnitude 8.2.

a reply to: intergalactic fire

It's freak'n blue!

a reply to: carsforkids

No. It's green.

Well done! The skies have been to overcast for me to get my scopes out but as soon as we get some clear weather I might try an get a photo of it! Been awhile since I have taken any. What do you use for stacking?

Where am I looking in the sky? West Coast US.

Also I’d never seen anything like a planet webbed by a constellation last night. Intriguing. Thank you!

a reply to: slatesteam

Where am I looking in the sky? West Coast US.

Northern sky. Cassiopeia, I think.

You'll be needing a good telescope or a really good pair of binocs.

Also I’d never seen anything like a planet webbed by a constellation last night.

Ok.



Between Ursa Major (Big Dipper) and Cassiopeia.