Last Chance: Witness This Incredibly Rare Comet for the First Time in 160,000 Years

This Monday, January 13, 2024, comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) made its closest approach to the Sun, its perihelion. Today, it is heading back towards the depths of the cosmos, giving us the opportunity to observe it. A chance like we rarely have, because if we miss it, we will never see it again.

A celestial body spotted very recently

Most of the celestial objects that approach more or less far from the Earth or the Sun are almost all known, and have been for years. Indeed, our safety is at stake in order to avoid “inconvenience” as the dinosaurs experienced.

However, it happens that certain objects can escape the vigilance of space agencies. This is the case of comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) which was spotted, as its name indicates, in 2024 by the device Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (Last Warning System for Terrestrial Impact Asteroids) or Atlas.

Luckily it was only a comet.

A non-periodic comet

During its perihelion, comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) approached, according to estimates by Dr. Shyam Balaji of King's College London“about 8.3 million miles away [ndr, plus de 13 millions de km] of the Sun” in comments reported by the BBC.

This is categorized as a non-periodic comet. That is to say, with regard to the definition given StarWalk that it is a comet with “an extremely long orbital period [ndr, +1000 ans]either which follows a hyperbolic or parabolic trajectory which are not closed orbits [ndr, elle ne pourrait être visible qu’une seule fois]”.

And if we are to believe the estimates made regarding its discovery and the study of its trajectory, comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) could only be visible once every 160,000 years.

Can we easily see it?

We will be able to see it, yes, but not really easily. Indeed, as stated StarWalkcomet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) will be difficult to observe from the northern hemisphere due to its low position in the sky and its relative proximity to the Sun.

On the other hand, for our readers who reside or are on vacation in the southern hemisphere, the comet will be visible much more easily. According to Dr. Balaji, “they should try to look at the western horizon after sunset” he explained to the BBC.

But nothing beats a view from Earth's orbit to observe a comet. And it's not NASA astronaut Don Pettit, currently on the ISS, who will say the opposite. The latter was able to photograph C/2024 G3 (Atlas) from the International Space Station as it headed towards the Sun.

© Don Pettit / NASA Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) photographed by Don Pettit from the ISS

As time passes, the comet will be increasingly difficult to see due to its progressive distance from the Sun and therefore from the Earth. It could be back in our planet's skies in 160,000 years. In other words, you can either see her go now or you'll never see her.

Source : BBC / StarWalk