Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) puts on spectacular show in Southern Hemisphere skies
Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas), which made its closest approach to Earth on January 14, 2025, and reached perihelion a day later, is creating spectacular photographic opportunities as it brightens in the night sky. Astronomers and skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere have reported a visible coma and an extended tail, making it one of the most striking comets of recent years.
Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) seen in the sky over Ghana. Image credit: Scott Bateman
Observations indicate that the comet’s brightness has exceeded initial predictions, aided by a combination of favorable positioning and increased outgassing as it approached the Sun. Images captured by amateur and professional astronomers show a well-defined nucleus and an ion tail stretching across multiple degrees of the sky, enhanced by solar wind interactions.
The comet is currently best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, particularly from mid- to late January 2025, when it appears in the evening sky near the constellation Capricornus, just after sunset. Observers in the Northern Hemisphere may find it challenging to spot the comet due to its proximity to the Sun and its position low on the horizon.
As it moves away from the Sun, its brightness is expected to gradually fade, but it may still provide remarkable views for those using telescopes or long-exposure photography.
According to Scott Bateman, who shared pictures of the comet he captured from Ghana, it was visible for approximately 90 minutes in the western sky a few days ago, emitting a shaft of light and appearing to be “surrounded by what looked like aurora.”
Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) made its closest approach to Earth on January 14, 2025, and reached perihelion a day later. It shone as brightly as Venus for several days and was visible across the globe.
After slingshotting around the Sun, the comet began its journey back to the Oort Cloud and is not expected to return for at least 160 000 years.
Although the comet has now dimmed too much to be visible to the naked eye, astrophotographers have continued capturing images of it as it travels back to the outer solar system.
Hungarian astrophotographer Lionel Majzik captured images of the comet from the dark skies of Chile over three consecutive nights, between January 18 and January 20, 2025. He observed that the comet’s coma — the cloud surrounding its nucleus — had dimmed significantly during this period, suggesting that the comet’s head may have started breaking apart.
The photos also revealed a bright streak of light, or “streamer,” in the comet’s tail. This feature indicates that substantial amounts of gas and dust are escaping from the comet, possibly through new cracks in its nucleus.
“Only one week ago, Comet ATLAS passed very close to the Sun,” Spaceweather.com reported. “The thermal stress may have been too much.”
References:
1 Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS’ ‘near-death encounter’ with the sun may have blown it apart, new photos suggest – Live Science – January 21, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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