C/2020 M3 (ATLAS)


Comet C/2020 M3 is a Halley-type comet that passed within from Earth on 14 November 2020. It is one of many comets discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System.

Observational history

The comet was first discovered on 27 June 2020 as an asteroid-like object by the -telescope at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii as part of the ATLAS survey. Observations in August 2020 revealed that the comet was about 4–5 magnitudes brighter than predicted.
By 8 November 2020, the comet was seen a few degrees east of the Horseshoe and Orion Nebulae. It passed closest to Earth at a distance of on 14 November. By 25 November, the comet was passing through the constellation Taurus, near the Crab Nebula's position.

Physical characteristics

Observations conducted by the TRAPPIST-North telescope at the Oukaïmeden Observatory in Morocco were used to determine the comet's dust production and chemical composition. It was determined that the comet had a typical composition compared to other comets, without any depletion of carbon-chain elements from its coma.

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