Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) should be visible from the southern hemisphere, and possibly also the northern hemisphere, over the next few days
By Alex Wilkins
10 January 2025
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) captured on 31 December 2024 using a telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile
Lionel Majzik
A comet that has taken astronomers by surprise could shine as brightly as Venus in the night sky as it passes by Earth over the next few days.
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was spotted in April last year by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System when it was more than 600 million kilometres from Earth. Astronomers initially assumed it wouldn’t survive its orbit close to the sun, but later observations suggested that the comet is taking a different path that will allow it to survive and perhaps even remain intact for a flyby of Earth.
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This new orbit, which takes 160,000 years for a round trip, has the comet snaking its way through our solar system in a way that makes it visible for stargazers in the southern hemisphere. But for the final part of its journey around the sun, it should be just about visible with binoculars to people in the northern hemisphere too.
Observations since the new orbit was suggested have shown that the comet is growing brighter than expected, which could mean it is breaking up as it travels closer to the sun. However, the most recent observations have shown that the brightness has persisted and even increased, which wouldn’t be the case if the comet had disintegrated.
If C/2024 G3 survives, it could lead to an exceptionally bright appearance in the night sky, with some astronomers predicting its brightness will match that of Venus, making it one of the most brilliant comets in decades.