“Don’t Miss This Once-in-a-Lifetime Cosmic Spectacle: Witness the Comet that Last Graced Our Skies 160,000 Years Ago!”

Get ready to mark your calendars, because a cosmic spectacle is about to unfold right above our heads! Can you imagine looking up at the night sky and spotting a comet that only visits our neck of the woods every 160,000 years? Well, hold onto your telescopes, because the C/2024 G3 Atlas is making its grand entrance in the next week! First sighted back in April 2014 when it was a mind-boggling 400 million miles away, this icy traveler is now on its way to Earth—and there’s a solid chance you might see it. So, grab those binoculars and find a cozy spot away from the city lights—who knows when you’ll get another opportunity like this? Interested in learning more? LEARN MORE.

A comet visible only once every 160,000 years is set to fly by Earth. And there’s a pretty decent chance you can see it.

Called C/2024 G3 Atlas, the sub-zero icy space rock is set to be visible from planet Earth in the next week.

First spotted back in April 2014 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile.

At the time of its first sighting, the comet had been a staggering 400 million miles away from humanity.

Then, it was 158,000 times dimmer than the feinted star visible from Earth. So, basically, absolutely no chance of spotting it without the best of the best scientific equipment.

A stunning image of the G3 Atlas comet captured by NASA astronaut Donald Petit (NASA / Donald Petit)

G3 Atlas comet’s journey through space

Now, G3 Atlas is set to reach something called its peak perihelion. This is the moment on its journey through space when it is closest to the Sun.

Dr Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King’s College London, said: “As with all comets, its visibility and brightness can be unpredictable.

“Observers may have opportunities to spot it in the days around perihelion, depending on local conditions and the comet’s behaviour.

“The comet’s brightness will be influenced by its proximity to the Sun, which causes ice and frozen gases to sublimate, creating a coma and potentially a tail. While some predictions suggest it could become quite bright, comet brightness predictions are notoriously uncertain.”

The comet’s peak perihelion will be today (13 January), meaning it could be visible once darkness falls.

Here’s hoping it’s a clear night (Getty Stock Image)

Seeing the G3 Atlas comet

If timed correctly, the G3 Atlas comet could be the brightest comet we have been able to see in the United Kingdom in the last 20 years.

As always with the UK, visibility is the big factor.

With recent weather being grim, and fog settling in across many parts of the country after recent snow and ice showers, hope is lower than it might have otherwise been.

Dr Balaji said if you want to see the comet you should find a location away from bright city lights, with binoculars or a small telescope your best shout, The Telegraph reported.

It won’t be a blink and you’ll miss it event, thankfully, with the journey taking amount of time equivalent to days on Earth.

According to mobile stargazing app Star Walk, it’ll be visible up until 18 January.

Those in the Southern Hemisphere will get the best view of the comet due to its position in relation to the Earth.