Rare comet could be visible for first time in 160,000 years.
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Comet spotted from International Space Station this weekend
A bright comet could be visible in the world's skies in the coming days for the first time in 160,000 years.
NASA said the future brightness of a comet is "very difficult" to predict, but that comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) could be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.
On Monday, the comet was at perihelion, the point at which it is closest to the Sun, which affects its apparent brightness. Experts say it could be visible as early as Monday night.
Although the exact locations of potential visibility are not known, experts believe the comet, which could shine as brightly as Venus, could be best observed from the southern hemisphere. The comet was spotted last year by NASA's Asteroid Impact Warning System.
Dr. Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King's College London, said that "current orbital calculations show that it will pass within about 13.3 million kilometers of the Sun," which classifies it as a "Sun-orbiting" comet. .
The university described the comet as an event that occurs once every 160,000 years.
Dr. Balaji said that the opportunity to see the comet could be "within a few days around perihelion, depending on local conditions and the behavior of the comet."
"Like all comets, its visibility and brightness can be unpredictable," he added. Balaji said people living in the Southern Hemisphere - where the comet is expected to be best seen - should "look towards the eastern horizon before dawn, [and] after perihelion, try the western horizon after sunset".
But Balaji added that while it is expected to be "fairly bright", predictions of the comet's brightness are "notoriously uncertain", with many turning out to be dimmer than expected.
For the Northern Hemisphere - including the UK - viewing may be difficult due to the comet's relative position to the Sun.
You can check the BBC weather forecast online to see if the skies are clear enough for a possible sighting where you are.
Balaji advised people wanting to see the comet to find a spot away from light pollution and use a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.
He warned observers to be careful at sunrise and sunset and said to track the comet's position to know where it might appear in the sky. Meanwhile, astronomers have been tracking the comet's trajectory.
On Saturday, NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared a photo of the comet taken from the International Space Station on social media.
"It's absolutely incredible to see a comet from orbit. Atlas C2024-G3 is visiting us," he wrote.
Source@Bosman
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