POSSIBLE DISINTEGRATION OF THE NUCLEUS OF COMET C/2024 S1 (ATLAS)

ATel #16857; Federico Manzini, Virginio Oldani (Stazione Astronomica di Sozzago), Paolo Ochner (Padova University), Luigi R. Bedin (INAF-OAPd), Andrea Reguitti (INAF-OABr), Andrea Farina (Padova University)
on 9 Oct 2024; 12:35 UT
Credential Certification: Andrea Reguitti (andreareguitti@gmail.com)

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Comet C/2024 S1 was discovered by ATLAS-HKO in Hawaii on September 27, 2024. It is a sungrazing comet and is expected to become very bright at perihelion on October 28, when it will pass very close to the sun at only 0.008 AU.

A series of images of the comet taken with r and w filters on October 8 (r=0.802 AU) with the 1-m LCO telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory in the context of the FTPEPO2014A-004 proposal and publicly released, were difficult to align and stack due to a lack of condensation of the nucleus, which appeared elongated and fainting compared to images taken with the 1-m telescope at Siding Spring on October 3 (r=0.921 AU), when it was still identifiable. This finding suggests a possible fragmentation of the nucleus.

Despite the comet was still at a relatively 'safe' distance from the Sun, it is possible that strong vaporization of a large amount of gas occurred which, together with the tidal or rotational forces acting on the comet's nucleus may have led to its fragmentation.

CAPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1, Figure 2 Images taken at Siding Spring Observatory on October 3, 2024, with the 1-m LCO telescope. A photometric cut through the nucleus (indicated with a dotted line) is superimposed on the original. The nucleus of comet C/2024 S1 is still observable.

Figure 3, Figure 4 Images taken at the South African Astronomical Observatory on October 8, 2024, with the 1-m LCO telescope. A photometric cut through the nucleus (indicated with a dotted line) is superimposed on the original. The nucleus of comet C/2024 S1 is no longer clearly observable, and the photometric pattern resembles that seen in the nuclear region of comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) at the time of its breakup.

Figures are available here