We are only a week into the New Year, and the cosmos has already given us a surprise. Some of you might remember Comet A3 from 2024 and how bright it was. Well, now its turn for Comet G3 to quench your thirst. This icy visitor from the Oort cloud is now approaching its perihelion and getting brighter. This would be an excellent opportunity for photographers to capture the comet and also to be able to see it.
About Comet G3
The long-period, sungrazing comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will be 0.09 AU from the Sun when it reaches perihelion on January 13, 2025. Images taken with a 0.5-m reflector telescope at Río Hurtado, Chile, on April 5, 2024, revealed the comet to the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey. At the time, the comet was around 4.38 AU (655 million miles) from Earth and was a magnitude 19 object. Additional observations revealed a straight tail and a diffuse coma around 4.5 arc seconds broad. Because of its extremely low absolute magnitude (H=9), it was thought to be a young comet from the Oort cloud at the time of discovery, and its chances of surviving perihelion were slim to nonexistent. However, once the orbit was fine-tuned, it was shown to be most likely a very old comet that had previously approached the Sun rather closely.
The comet is getting brighter
On 13th January 2025, Comet G3 will reach perihelion, only 13.5 million kms from the Sun. As it approaches perihelion, it shines bright at Mag 1.6. It is predicted to reach a peak brightness of Mag -4.5 during its perihelion, shining as bright as Venus. However, scientists are not sure if it will survive the close pass. With the immense heat, the comet might disintegrate. But if we are lucky (and also the comet), it will indeed create a spectacle and become a naked-eye object in the western sky after sunset in the next week.
How to find the comet
Currently, the comet lies in the constellation of Sagittarius. It can be found in the eastern sky before sunrise. However, it will remain low in the sky, rising about 10-12 degrees before sunrise. It sits right below the planet Mercury. The easier way to find the comet would be to locate Mercury in the eastern sky and then move slowly below it. It may not be easy to locate the comet in the twilight sky.
After its perihelion on 13th January, it will become a western sky object. Even then, the comet won’t get high in the sky reaching a maximum altitude of 10 degrees at sunset. Photographing and observing the comet with a binocular must be done cautiously as it remains close to the sun.
You can photograph the comet with a mid-sized telephoto lens (150-200mm) or even with a wider lens if it gets brighter.
Clear skies!
