C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)
C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) (or Comet ATLAS) is a comet with a near-parabolic orbit discovered by the ATLAS survey on December 28, 2019. It is currently in the constellation Monoceros. Early predictions based on the brightening rate suggested that the comet could become as bright as magnitude 0 matching the brightness of Vega. It received widespread media coverage due to its dramatic increase in brightness and orbit similar to the Great Comet of 1844, but on March 22, 2020, the comet started disintegrating. Such fragmentation events are very common for Kreutz Sungrazers. The comet continues to fade and did not reach naked eye visibility. By mid-May, comet ATLAS appeared very diffuse even in a telescope. C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) has not been seen since May 21, 2020.

C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) was the brightest on March 30 when it had an apparent magnitude of about 7, but after disintegrating, it continued to fade, until it was last observed on May 21st. It is located in the constellation Monoceros but is no longer visible. It reached its nearest point to Earth on May 23 and come to perihelion (closest to the Sun) on May 31.

In April 2020, astronomers reported, on "The Astronomer's Telegram", the possible disintegration of Comet ATLAS. The comet has fragmented into at least 4 pieces. NASA subsequently reported that the Hubble Space Telescope has identified that there could be as many as roughly "30 fragments on April 20, and 25 pieces on April 23." The fragmentation may be the result of outgassing causing an increase in the centrifugal force of the comet.

The Solar Orbiter flew through the ion tail of comet ATLAS between May 31 and June 1 and the dust tail on June 6.
Q3559
comet
Concept
Q25036733
near-parabolic
UNK
Q17002475
ATLAS
MISC
Q10428
Monoceros
CEL
Q3427
Vega
CEL
Q386772
Kreutz Sungrazers
Concept
Q124313
apparent magnitude
Concept
Q83481
perihelion
Concept
Q18205341
The Astronomer's Telegram
MEDIA
Q653731
Solar Orbiter
MISC
Q84082435
C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)
CEL
Q84082435
C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)
CEL
Q84082435
C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)
CEL
2019-12-28T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
December 28, 2019
DATE
1844-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1844
DATE
2020-03-22T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
March 22, 2020
DATE
2020-05-21T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
May 21, 2020
DATE
2020-04-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
April 2020
DATE
+2019^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
2019
NUMBER
+4^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
4
NUMBER
0^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
0
NUMBER
+2019^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
2019
NUMBER
+4^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
4
NUMBER
+2019^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
2019
NUMBER
+4^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
4
NUMBER
+30^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
30
NUMBER
+7^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
7
NUMBER
+21^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
21
NUMBER
+23^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
23
NUMBER
+31^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
31
NUMBER
+4^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
4
NUMBER
+30^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
30
NUMBER
+20^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
20
NUMBER
+25^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
25
NUMBER
+23^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
23
NUMBER
+31^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
31
NUMBER
+1^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1
NUMBER
+6^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
6
NUMBER
instance of
discoverer or inventor
time of discovery or invention