A bright comet can be seen in the Earth's sky in the coming days for the first time in 160,000 years.
NASA said the comet's future brightness is “extremely difficult” to predict, but comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) could remain bright enough to see with the naked eye.
On Monday, the comet was at perihelion, the point at which it is closest to the sun, which affects how bright it is. Experts say it can be seen starting Monday night.
While the exact locations of the potential sighting are unknown, experts believe the comet, which can shine like the planet Venus, may be best seen from the Southern Hemisphere.
The comet was spotted last year by NASA's Terrestrial Asteroid Impact Warning System.
Dr. Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King's College London, said: “Current orbital calculations indicate that it will pass within about 8.3 million miles of the Sun,” which classifies it as a comet “surrounding the Sun.”
The university described the comet as an event that occurs once every 160,000 years.
Dr. Balaji said that the chances of spotting the comet may occur “in the days surrounding perihelion, depending on local conditions and the behavior of the comet.”
He added: “As is the case with all comets, their visibility and brightness are unpredictable.”
People living in the Southern Hemisphere — where the comet is expected to be best observed — should “look toward the eastern horizon before sunrise, (and) after perihelion, try the western horizon after sunset,” Balaji said.
But Balaji added that although it is expected to be “very bright”, predictions about the comet's brightness are “noticeably uncertain”, with many of them ending up being much fainter than initially expected.
For the Northern Hemisphere – including the UK – viewing may be difficult as the comet is relative to the Sun.
You can check with BBC weather online To see if the sky is clear enough for a possible view of where you are.
Mr. Balaji advised people who want to spot the comet to find a location away from light pollution and use binoculars or a small telescope.
He warned observers to be careful at sunrise and sunset, and said they should track the comet's location to know where it might appear in the sky.
Meanwhile, astronomers were tracking the comet's path.
On Saturday, NASA astronaut Don Pettit posted a photo on social media of the comet taken from the International Space Station.
“It is absolutely amazing to see a comet from orbit. Atlas C2024-G3 is paying us a visit,” he wrote.
