The comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS will reach the perihelionthe minimum distance from the Sun, Monday 13 January 2025. The comet is currently located very close angularly to the Sun, which makes the observation from Italy extremely difficult. The last moments to attempt an observation, but only with professional tools, are the morning of January 10th and 11th in east/south-east directionwhen the cometary nucleus will rise approximately half an hour before the Sun. There is no possibility of observing the comet with the naked eye, even with binoculars, as the morning light will be too bright to permit observation. After the “comet of the century” which put on a show in our skies in 2024, comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS is nevertheless configured as the brightest of 2025potentially capable of reaching a total magnitude (core + tail) similar to that of Venus, thanks to its close passage (13.5 million km) from the Sun. If it survives the close encounter, observers in the southern hemisphere will be able to admire the brilliant comet shortly after sunset from the Sun starting 2-3 days after perihelion.
Where, when and what time it can be observed
There comet C/2024 G3currently being near perihelion, has a angular distance in the sky from the Sun by about one tens of degrees. This makes theobservation of the comet extremely difficulteven if you are equipped with professional tools. The best chances to observe it from Italy were the mornings of the first days of January. There is one more little hope to observe it with professional tools morning of January 10th and 11thassuming you have a completely clear east/south-east horizon, for example by the sea. The cometary nucleus on these days will rise about thirty minutes before the Sun and, given the inclination of the tail, it will be relatively easier to photograph the latter rather than the nucleus. There isn’t no chance to observe the comet to the naked eyenot even with binoculars.
The comet will reach the perihelion on January 13thwhen forecasts predict it will reach a total magnitude (core + tail) equal to that of Venus, assuming that it does not disintegrate first due to solar action. The comet passes perihelion it will no longer be visible from Italybut will tend to favor observers ofsouthern hemisphere who will be able to observe it, perhaps even with the naked eye, starting from 2-3 days after perihelion in a westward direction, approximately 40-60 minutes after sunset. In the following days the celestial body, gradually moving away from the Sun and the Earth, will become less and less bright and therefore difficult to observe.
What are the features of C/2024 G3
Discovered on April 5, 2024, C/2024 G3 is a comet long term (hundreds of thousands of years) with a retrograde orbit belonging to the comet class sungrazerthat is, passing within 33 solar rays of the Sun. The comet will in fact graze the solar surface at a distance of just 13.5 million km. The intense particle wind, solar radiation and tidal forces it will experience could lead the comet to complete fragmentation. Thanks to the probe SOHO of NASA, which continuously monitors the Sun, we should be able to directly witness the passage of the comet at perihelion and understand almost immediately whether it will have survived the close encounter.
Using a north and south Earth reference, the comet comes from the southern direction compared to orbital plane of the planets of the Solar System. This fact, combined with its small elongation from the Sun near the perihelion in the north direction, means that thesouthern hemisphere is favorite in observation of this comet.
