A rare comet may only be visible for 160,000 years

A bright comet could be visible in skies across the globe in the coming days for the first time in 160,000 years.

NASA said the future brightness of a comet is “notoriously difficult” to predict, but Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) may remain bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.

On Monday, the comet was at perihelion, the point at which it is closest to the Sun, which affects how bright it appears. Experts say it can be seen from Monday evening.

While the exact locations for possible visibility are unknown, experts believe that the comet, which can shine as brightly as Venus, can be best viewed from the southern hemisphere.

The comet was spotted last year by NASA’s last-ditch asteroid impact warning system.

Dr Shyam Balaji, a researcher in particle astrophysics and cosmology at King’s College London, said “current orbital calculations suggest that it will pass within about 8.3 million miles of the Sun”, which classifies it as a ‘solar’ comet .

The university described the comet as a once-in-160,000-year event.

Dr Balaji said opportunities to spot the comet could arise “in the days around perihelion, depending on local conditions and the behavior of the comet”.

“As with all comets, its visibility and brightness can be unpredictable,” he added.

Mr Balaji said people living in the southern hemisphere – where the comet is expected to be best viewed – should “look to the eastern horizon before sunrise, (and) after perihelion, try the western horizon after sunset .”

But Mr Balaji added that while it was expected to be “quite bright”, predictions of the comet’s brightness were “notoriously uncertain”, with many turning out to be fainter than originally predicted.

For the Northern Hemisphere – including the UK – viewing can be challenging because of the comet’s relativity to the Sun.

You can check with BBC Weather online to see if the sky is clear enough to possibly see where you are.

Mr Balaji advised people wanting to spot the comet to find a spot away from light pollution and use a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.

He warned observers to be careful around sunrise and sunset and said to track the comet’s position to find out where it might appear in the sky.

Meanwhile, astronomers traced the path of the comet.

On Saturday, NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared a photo of the comet taken from the International Space Station on social media.

“It’s absolutely amazing to see a comet from orbit. Atlas C2024-G3 is visiting us,” he wrote.