A unique phenomenon at the beginning of 2025: The Earth's sky is decorated with a comet that visited it 160 thousand years ago!

Astronomers reported that in the second week of January 2025, Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) will visit the inner solar system, in an exciting celestial phenomenon.

This icy visitor from the distant Oort Cloud (a cloud surrounding the solar system) will reach its closest point to the sun on January 13, 2025, when it will be only 13.5 million kilometers (8.3 million miles) away from the sun.

For comparison, the planet Mercury orbits the sun at a distance of about 47 million kilometers (29 million miles).

On the same day, the comet will be at its closest approach to Earth, meaning it could be at its brightest in the sky, especially for observers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Although it is expected to be the brightest comet of 2025, it will likely only be visible to the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere. The comet could reach a brightness of magnitude -4.5, which would be as bright as Venus in January 2025. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) will then be in the constellation Sagittarius.

This is a unique event for astronomers and Earth-based observers, but the comet’s close approach to the Sun raises concerns about its survival.

Its orbital path suggests that it passed through the inner Solar System about 160,000 years ago, meaning it has survived a similar pass in the past. However, the intense heat it will experience as it approaches the Sun could cause it to disintegrate.

If the comet survives its close approach to the Sun, it will likely be visible as a bright object in the western sky after sunset, with a brightness similar to that of Venus. However, observers from Earth should be careful when trying to see it, as its proximity to the Sun can make it dangerous to observe. Experts advise that this should only be done by experienced observers.

The full Moon, known as the “cold moon”, will be bright in the sky on January 13, appearing on the eastern horizon with the comet in the opposite direction. This can cause light interference and make viewing more difficult in the days leading up to the comet’s approach, but conditions will improve quickly after the full moon, with the moon rising later each night.

Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) was discovered on April 5, 2024, by the ATLAS (Airborne Near-Earth Object Last Alert System) telescope system.

The comet hails from the Oort Cloud, a vast and distant region that contains many comets in the Solar System.

As astronomers track the comet's path through the inner solar system, its fate will continue to be closely watched, and it could provide a spectacular celestial show for those lucky enough to see it in the southern hemisphere.

Source: Space - Russia Today Published on 31-12-2024