Comet which could shine as brilliant as Venus which should be visible from the earth

A comet who took astronomers by surprise could shine as brilliantly as Venus in the night sky as she goes through the earth in the coming days.

The comet C / 2024 G3 (ATLAS) was spotted in April of last year by the last Terrestrial impact system of NASA when it was more than 600 million kilometers of the earth. Astronomers initially assumed that he would not survive his orbit near the sunBut subsequent observations have suggested that the comet take a different path which will allow her to survive and perhaps even remain intact for an overview of the earth.

This new orbit, which takes 160,000 years for a round trip, has the comet by winding through our solar system In a way that makes it visible for the stars in the southern hemisphere. But for the last part of his trip around the sun, he should be almost visible with binoculars for people in the northern hemisphere.

Observations since the suggestion of New Orbit has shown that the comet is developing more than expected, which could mean that it breaks as it approaches the sun. However, the most recent observations have shown that the brightness has persisted and even increased, which would not be the case if the comet had disintegrated.

If C / 2024 G3 survives, it could lead to an exceptionally brilliant appearance in the night sky, with certain astronomers predicting that its light will correspond to that of Venus, which makes it one of the most brilliant comets in decades.

However, the exact brightness of the comet is uncertain. It could be far enough to reflect sunlight and be clearly visible, or it could be launched by sunlight, making it invisible.

Astronomers have also launched the possibility of a phenomenon called forward diffusion, where the comet's dust makes it appear brighter than it would normally, but the chances of this are weak, according to the meteorologist Joe Rao Space.com.

If the comet shines, then she will likely reach her maximum level when he makes her approach closest to the sun. The central office of astronomical telegrams, which brings together the observations of astronomers around the world, predicts that this will happen on January 13 at 10:17 GMT, with the approach closest to the earth of the comet a few hours later.

This is equivalent to an observation window of about three days for those of the northern hemisphere hoping to admire the comet, if it is sufficiently brilliant, from January 12 to 14. For people in places like the United States and Europe, the best time to see the comet will be about half an hour before sunrise on January 12, where it should be visible with twins, about 5 degrees above the sun or just above the horizon. There should also be a second chance to see him about half an hour after sunset on January 14.