The bright comet of 2025 is coming. Here’s how you can see it shine

hot on its tail Quadrantids meteor showerThere’s another sight to come in the sky: Comet Atlas C/2024 G3, which will reach perihelion—the point of its closest orbit to the Sun—on January 13. On the same day, we will also see it at its closest. points toward Earth, and it could become the brightest comet of 2025, a year in which no other comet will be visible to the naked eye. Here’s what you need to know.

C/2024 G3 was discovered on April 5, 2024 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)—a network of telescopes that scans space for asteroids that could potentially hit Earth. Comets come from Oort CloudA remote region at the outer edge of the solar system that is thought to contain remnants of the material that formed the planets of the solar system.

When Comet C/2024 G3 reaches perihelion, it will come within just 13.5 million kilometers of the Sun – for context, Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, orbits the star at a distance of 47 million kilometers. According to latest calculations Planetary SocietyC/2024 G3 can reach magnitude -4.5, about the same as Venus, and would probably be visible with the naked eye to people in the Southern Hemisphere.

The comet’s unusually close journey to the Sun, however, raises questions about whether it will survive. Its orbital path indicates that it is a dynamic old comet, and that this is not its first trip around the Sun. In fact, its last approach is estimated to be around 160,000 years ago, which means it may have already survived a close pass. “It would be too hot to survive,” said Comet Division Director Nick James. British Astronomical Association. “But if it does, it could be a fascinating object in the evening sky from the Southern Hemisphere after perihelion.”

How to Observe Comets

If it survives intact, the comet will be visible in the southern hemisphere in the west just after sunset on January 13. The configuration of the comet’s orbit makes it difficult to observe for those in the Northern Hemisphere – it will be barely visible in the sky just after sunset or before sunrise, but it is likely to dip in the twilight.

The comet’s proximity to the Sun means it can be dangerous to spot, and James says C/2024 G3 “should only be observed if you’re an experienced observer.” Looking directly into the sun without protective equipment can cause permanent eye damage.

There will also be interference from the moonlight, which will be in its waning phase, which can make observations more difficult. In the Southern Hemisphere it may be possible to observe comets with the naked eye, but binoculars or a telescope may be required.

Those who don’t want to miss the event can follow along in pictures from the comet of Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Lasco C3 coronagraph, or consult IAU Minor Planet Center or Comet Observation (COBS) database

This story originally appeared Wired Italia and translated from the Italian.