Don’t rub your eyes—this year’s brightest comet may already be headed our way.
The object is designated Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), as it was first reported by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. Don’t let the name of the telescope worry you—the comet will pass by Earth, not impact it—but that’s only if the comet manages to survive a near pass of the Sun on January 13.
Comets are conglomerations of dust and ice that emit ethereal tails as they near the Sun, whose heat causes the objects to release gas and dust. That same thing that gives comets their otherworldly beauty, however, can cause their downfall; the Sun’s terrific heat causes some comets to disintegrate into oblivion before they have a chance to put on a show.
The question on everyone’s minds with Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is, will it survive the journey—and if it does, how brilliantly will its transit be?
In its nearest pass of the Sun, C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will come within 8.3 million miles (13.5 million kilometers) of the star, according to EarthSky. Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is predicted to reach a magnitude of -5.8 at its nearest approach, making it brighter than any star in the night sky besides our Sun (which has a whopping visual magnitude of -26.74).
The comet is not to be confused with C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), by the way, which wowed Earth-based observers when it passed by last year. As it passed, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) grew an anti-tail, a rare feature caused by the position of the comet and its trajectory in relation to Earth.
According to EarthSky, southern observers will have the best chance of spotting the new Comet ATLAS. For folks in the Southern Hemisphere, looking in the vicinity of the Sun just after sunset is your best bet, as the comet will become fainter as it rises in the night sky. The comet will be in the Sun’s glare during its perihelion, so you’re more likely to see the comet once it puts some distance between itself and our host star—try after January 16 or so. That said, the comet will be difficult to spot from the Northern Hemisphere due to its proximity to the Sun and low position in the sky during its brightest phase, according to Sky & Telescope.
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is a sunskirter, meaning that, despite its brightness, it will remain very close to the Sun—making its visibility in the night sky an ephemeral thing. Even when the comet’s head is no longer visible, its tail can still be seen if it’s long enough. The jury’s out on how the comet’s beauty will stack up to others this year, but we’ll have to wait a week to see where it stands.
