Rare comet expected to shine brighter than any in two decades
Comet C/2024 G3 was discovered last year
Last updated 14th Jan 2025
Professional and amateur astronomers alike could be in for a treat this week, as a comet is set to be visible in the night sky, and could even become as bright as Venus.
The comet, known as Comet C/2024 G3, was discovered last year by NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Astronomers have been tracking the comet, which has recently reached its closest point to the Sun, making it increase in brightness.
While in recent weeks the comet has only been visible in the Southern Hemisphere, it is now expected to treat those in the Northern Hemisphere, including the UK with its presence. This will be the only time you get to see the comet as it has an orbit taking 160,000 years.
What is the comet called?
The official name of the comet is C/2024 G3 (ATLAS). The C relates to the fact that it's a comet that has an orbit of more than 200 years. The 2024 relates to the year.
G relates to the time of the year it was discovered. For example A would refer to the first part of January, whereas B would relate to the second part of January. In this case, G refers to the beginning of April.
Finally, the number relates to the order in which the comets were discovered, so this comet was the third comet to be discovered in the first half of April.
ATLAS simply relates to the system which discovered it.
What does the comet look like?
To those of us on the Earth, a comet will generally look like a fuzzy patch with a tail. Don Pettit, an astronaut on the International Space Station, recently posted a photo of the comet from space.
Although the brightness of a comet is difficult to predict, it did suddenly get brighter this month. Nick James from the British Astronomical Association told Spaceweather.com: "The sudden jump in brightness was significant.
"This could have been an early sign of disintegration, but since then, the comet is still brightening. It looks as if this outburst has not been fatal."
Where is the comet in the night sky?
After 14th January, here in the UK, you may be able to see the comet in the West for around half an hour after sunset.
What's the best way to view a comet?
Make sure you know where you should be looking and find a place well away from artificial light. As this comet is so close to the Sun you must take extra precaution to make sure that you don't look directly at the Sun as it is setting.
This month, not only do we have a comet in the night sky, but next week there will be a planetary alignment.
Although it is a while until our next major meteor shower, you can still use many of these tips for viewing the comet.
Tips for viewing a meteor shower:
1. Dark sky
You might not realise how much light pollution there is in your neighbourhood, find out more about light pollution and where you can find a really dark sky here.
Allow your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Don't forget that the moon can also interfere so try to avoid times when it is visible.
2. Date and time
To increase your chances of seeing some meteors make sure you find out the best time to look for them. Often it is when the sky is at its darkest (in the middle of the night), or if there is a meteor shower, when the radiant (where the meteors come from - the constellation Leo) is high in the sky.
3. Look in the right area
It sounds obvious, but the sky is a very large area and meteors are very fast! Make sure you know which area of the sky you should be looking in. The Perseids come from Perseus, the easiest way to find it would be to use a free sky map app on your phone.
4. Good weather
Again, it seems obvious, but there's no point in standing in the cold when it's cloudy. Check the weather forecast before going outside, and if it's going to be clear later on then wait until then if you can.
5. Don't use a telescope or binoculars
Using a telescope or binoculars will DECREASE your chances of seeing a meteor. Meteors are so quick that you are likely to miss them if you don't use the naked eye. Save your telescope or binoculars for the moon or planets.
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