Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) imaged using a telescope from Rio Hurtado, Chile, on December 31, 2024.
Lionel Majik
A comet that has astonished astronomers could shine as brightly as Venus in the night sky when it passes Earth over the next few days.
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was discovered more than 600 million kilometers from Earth by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in April last year. Astronomers initially assumed that the comet would not survive its close orbit to the Sun, but later observations showed that the comet may be taking a different path that could survive and possibly remain intact as it passes Earth.
This new orbit, which takes 160,000 years to complete, takes the comet through our solar system in a way visible to stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere. However, the final part of its journey around the Sun is visible to people in the Northern Hemisphere through binoculars.
Since the new orbit was proposed, observations have shown that the comet is getting brighter than expected, which could mean it is breaking up as it approaches the Sun. But the most recent observations show that the brightness has persisted and even increased. This would not have been the case if the comet had collapsed.
If C/2024 G3 survives, it could appear unusually bright in the night sky, and some astronomers predict it will be similar in brightness to Venus, making it one of the brightest comets in decades.
However, the comet’s exact brightness is uncertain. It may be far enough away to reflect sunlight and be clearly visible, or it may be washed out by sunlight and become invisible.
Astronomers have also raised the possibility of a phenomenon called forward scattering, where comet dust makes a comet appear brighter than usual, but this is unlikely, according to meteorologist Joe Rao. space.com.
If a comet shines brightly, it will probably reach its maximum level around its closest approach to the Sun. This will happen at 10:17 a.m. GMT on January 13, a few hours later when the comet will make its closest approach to Earth, according to the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, which compiles observations from astronomers around the world. I predict that they will.
This equates to roughly three days for people in the Northern Hemisphere to see the comet if it is bright enough, from January 12th to 14th. For people in places like the United States and Europe, the best time to see the comet is about 30 minutes before sunrise on January 12, with binoculars seeing it about 5 degrees above the Sun, or just above the horizon. There will also be a second viewing opportunity about 30 minutes after sunset on January 14th.
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