We have not seen the comet here in Mammendorf, but some German amateur astronomers have managed to see it visually and photograph it as you can see in the Spaceweather.com photo gallery.
The brightness was fainter than the SOHO images (here the latest from this morning) suggested, and it was also deep in twilight, which made it even less visible.
In the next few days it will certainly show its interesting tail under dark skies south of the equator!
Nobody expected it, otherwise we would have reported it earlier: Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) has survived its extremely close approach to the Sun, during which most other comets would have disintegrated.
The name breaks down as follows: “C” for a non-periodic comet, “2024” for the year of discovery, “G” for the discovery period in the first half of April, “3” for the consecutive discovery number, and “ATLAS” for the discovery program (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System).
It currently appears remarkably large, bright, and very fast (due to its proximity to the Sun) in images from the SOHO solar satellite. Over the course of the day, it is moving away from the Sun. This evening, on January 14, 2025, there is likely a chance to spot it right after sunset starting at about 16:45 near the horizon.
Some specialists have already photographed it in daylight near the Sun, but that is dangerous and should not be attempted without the proper equipment and know-how.
If the western horizon is clear this evening, it might be worth taking a look. The comet is said to be brighter than McNaught in 2007 – and we were able to see that one here in Mammendorf with the naked eye quite impressively.
Preliminary data suggest that despite its extreme approach to the Sun, the comet may only be visible for a short period of time. Therefore, make sure to have sufficient darkness and an unobstructed view to the western horizon. It’s also worth checking current websites such as TheSkyLive for up-to-date orbital data and brightness forecasts.
The SOHO satellite image processed by Wolfgang Mühle (taken on Jan. 13) shows several strong dust tails, indicating a lot of activity. The Sun is covered by the black disk.
Photographer Terry Lovejoy also processed the data from SOHO yesterday and created a color image by combining exposures through different filters of the solar satellite.
This screenshot shows the SOHO image from today, where the comet has already moved further along.
It is unclear whether – and what – you will be able to see after sunset today. It’s worth a try, especially since this may be the only chance to catch a glimpse of the comet tonight due to worsening weather conditions.
