Comet that could shine as bright as Venus set to be visible from Earth

The comet that surprised astronomers may shine as bright as Venus in the night sky as it passes near Earth over the next few days.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was spotted in April last year by NASA’s Terrestrial Asteroid Impact Last Alert System when it was more than 600 million kilometers from Earth. Astronomers initially assumed it would not survive its close orbit to the Sun, but subsequent observations suggested the comet was taking a different path that would allow it to survive and perhaps remain intact until the flyby.

This new orbit, a 160,000-year round trip, sees the comet make its way through our solar system in a way that makes it visible to stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere. But for the last part of its journey around the sun, it should be nearly visible with binoculars to people in the Northern Hemisphere as well.

Observations since the new orbit were proposed have shown that the comet is growing brighter than expected, which could mean it is disintegrating as it approaches the Sun. However, the latest observations have shown that the brightness continued and even increased, which would not be the case if the comet had disintegrated.

If C/2024 G3 survives, it could appear exceptionally bright in the night sky, with some astronomers predicting its brightness will match that of Venus, making it one of the brightest comets in decades.

However, the comet’s exact brightness is uncertain. It can be far enough away to reflect sunlight and be clearly visible, or it can be washed out by sunlight, making it invisible.

Astronomers have also raised the possibility of a phenomenon called forward scattering, in which dust emitted by a comet causes it to appear brighter than usual, but the chances of that are low, according to meteorologist Joe Rao in Space.com website.

If the comet shines brightly, it will likely reach maximum intensity around the time it approaches the Sun. The Central Office of Astronomical Telegrams, which collects observations from astronomers around the world, expects this to happen on January 13 at 10.17am GMT, with the comet approaching Earth a few hours later.

This equates to a viewing window of about three days for those in the Northern Hemisphere hoping to catch a glimpse of the comet, if it is bright enough, from January 12-14. For people in places like the United States and Europe, the best time to see the comet will be about a half-hour before sunrise on January 12, when it should be visible with binoculars, about 5 degrees above the sun or just above the horizon. There should also be a second chance to see it about half an hour after sunset on January 14.