The brightest comet of 2025 is coming. Here’s how you can see it shine

Hot for them tail of the Quadrantid meteor showerAnother spectacle in the sky is just around the corner: Comet Atlas C/2024 G3, which will reach perihelion – the point of its orbit closest to the Sun – on January 13th. On the same day, we will also see it at its closest point to Earth, and it could become the brightest comet of 2025, a year when no other comets are likely to be visible to the naked eye. Here you will find everything you need to know.

C/2024 G3 was discovered on April 5, 2024 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (Atlas) – a network of telescopes that scans space for asteroids that could potentially impact Earth. The comet comes from Oort Clouda remote region on the outer edge of the solar system that is thought to contain the remnants of the materials from which the solar system’s planets formed.

When comet C/2024 G3 reaches perihelion, it will be only 13.5 million kilometers away from the sun – for comparison: Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, orbits the star at a distance of 47 million kilometers. According to the latest calculations by the Planetary SocietyC/2024 G3 could reach magnitude -4.5, which is about the same as Venus and likely visible to the naked eye to people in the Southern Hemisphere.

However, the comet’s unusually short journey to the sun raises questions about whether it will survive. Its orbit suggests that it is a dynamically ancient comet and that this is not its first trip around the Sun. In fact, it is estimated that its last approach occurred around 160,000 years ago, meaning it may have already survived a close flyby. “It will be very hot and may not survive,” says Nick James, director of the comet division British Astronomical Association. “But if so, it could be an impressive object in the evening sky of the Southern Hemisphere after perihelion.”

How to observe the comet

If it survives unscathed, the comet will be visible to the west in the Southern Hemisphere shortly after sunset on January 13th. The comet’s orbital configuration makes it difficult for those in the Northern Hemisphere to observe it – it appears very low in the sky shortly after sunset or before sunrise, but is likely to be drowned out by twilight.

The comet’s proximity to the sun means that identifying it could be dangerous, and James says that C/2024 G3 “should only be observed if you are an experienced observer.” Looking directly at the sun without protective gear can cause permanent eye damage.

There will also be interference from the light of the Moon, which is in its waning phases, which could complicate observation. Naked-eye observation of the comet in the Southern Hemisphere might be possible, but this might require binoculars or a telescope.

If you don’t want to miss the show, you can follow the comet in pictures from the Solar and heliospheric observatories Lasco C3 Coronagraph, or consult the IAU Minor Planet Center or the Comet observation (COBS) Database.

This story originally appeared on WIRED Italy and was translated from Italian.