A once-in-a-lifetime comet was visible in the night sky on Monday evening after being unseen for 160,000 years. Comet G3 ATLAS (C/2024), first spotted in April, was expected to shine so brightly, it would rival Venus in the night sky.
The comet reached its peak perihelion – its closest point to the sun – yesterday, January 13, and is now making its retreat back into the depths of space. It is currently thought to be around 140,000,000 kilometres from Earth, according to observational tool TheSkyLive.
Scientists believe that G3 ATLAS has passed by Earth at least once before – around 160,000 years ago, when humans were beginning to spread across the globe after leaving Africa. The comet originates from the Oort Cloud, a thick icy bubble full of comets that surrounds our solar system, located a trillion miles away, reports the Express.
To put this 160,000-year-long orbit into context, Neptune, the furthest planet from the sun, takes 165 years to complete one solar lap, while Pluto takes 248 years. G3 ATLAS is passing through the constellation of Sagittarius and appears between the Sun and Pluto, meaning it is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere.
And while it is beginning to move further away, it is still possible to see G3 ATLAS from certain points on Earth. Your best chance to see it will be right after sunset from mid-January to the end of the month. It will be visible low on the horizon in the eastern sky just before sunrise or the western sky just after sunset.
However, Monday was when it was at its brightest, and you wouldn’t have needed a telescope or binoculars to see it. The comet will be coming three times closer to the sun than Mercury and 10 times closer than the Earth.
Stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere are urged to head to the nearest, highest hill or take a trip to a flat shoreline with a pair of binoculars for a closer look. It’s recommended to spend about half an hour outside in the dark before starting to view, to allow your eyes time to adjust to the darkness.
Meanwhile, astronomers have been following the comet’s path. On Saturday, Nasa astronaut Don Pettit, shared a photograph on social media of the comet taken from the International Space Station. “It is totally amazing to see a comet from orbit. Atlas C2024-G3 is paying us a visit,” he wrote.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our newsletterhere.