Just a month ago, it seemed that this comet, officially named C / 2019 Y4 Atlas , was going to surprise us with a dazzling spectacle in the sky at the time of its closest approach to the Sun, or perihelion, which would take place on May 31. The show would be assured … if everything went as planned.
But we cannot forget that comets have a somewhat unpredictable behavior and, on this occasion, and as much as astronomy fans may not regret, Comet ATLAS has broken into pieces, leaving us without the desired vision.
The images attest to this (see below) . The comet is practically extinct because it has broken into at least four large fragments and many other small ones, after the disintegration of its nucleus.
This has been explained by the astrophysicist Gianluca Mas i, founder and director of the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, in a statement sent by email.
Comet Atlas "has shattered their hearts and ours," Masi said.
