Comet C/2020 M3 ATLAS is passing through our vicinity, and makes its closest approach to Earth this Saturday, 14 November.
Of course it’s not new at all, but new to us; it was discovered earlier this summer by the University of Hawaii-NASA Project ATLAS. C/2020 M3 will pass somewhat more than 50 million kilometers from Earth, and is close enough and bright enough to be seen against the constellation Orion with a good pair of binoculars as it passes through.
Read more:
- NASA Science: Comet ATLAS and Orion's Belt https://science.nasa.gov/comet-atlas-and-orions-belt
-
Comet tracking data at https://theskylive.com/how-far-is-c2020m3
-
Photos and observing tips at Earthsky.org https://earthsky.org/space/comet-c-2020-m3-atlas-closest-to-earth-nov-14-2020
-
C/2020 M3 featured in the Astronomy Picture of the Day https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201112.html
-
The ATLAS Project https://fallingstar.com/home.php
- Detailed data at the JPL Small-Body Database https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=C%2F2020%20M3;old=0;orb=0;cov=0;log=0;cad=0