A rare comet may only be seen once every 160,000 years

A bright comet could be visible across the globe in the coming days for the first time in 160,000 years.

NASA said the future brightness of a comet is “notoriously difficult” to predict, but Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) may remain 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 how bright it is. Experts say it can be seen from Monday evening.

Although the exact locations of possible visibility are unknown, experts believe that the comet, which can shine as brightly as Venus, is best viewed from the southern hemisphere.

The comet was spotted last year by NASA’s Asteroid Collision Alert system.

Dr Shyam Balaji, a researcher in astroparticle physics and cosmology at King’s College London, said “current orbital calculations show it will pass about 8.3 million miles from the Sun”, which would classify it as a comet “circling the Sun”.

The university described the comet as a once-in-160,000-year event.

Dr Balaji said that opportunities to spot the comet could arise “in the days around perihelion, depending on local conditions and the behavior of the comet”.

“As with all comets, their visibility and brightness can be unpredictable,” he added.

Mr Balaji said people living in the southern hemisphere – where the comet is thought to be best viewed from – should “look at the eastern horizon before sunrise, (and) after perihelion, try the western horizon after sunset “.

But Mr Balaji added that while the comet is expected to be “quite bright”, predictions of the comet’s brightness are “knowingly uncertain”, with many turning out to be fainter than originally predicted.

For the Northern Hemisphere – including the UK – viewing can be difficult due to the comet’s relativity to the Sun.

You can check with BBC Weather Online to see if the sky is clear enough for a possible sighting where you are.

Mr. Balaji advised people who want to spot the comet to find a spot away from light pollution and use binoculars or a small telescope.

He warned watchers to be careful at sunrise and sunset and said to track the comet’s position to find where it might appear in the sky.

Meanwhile, astronomers were following the path of the comet.

On Saturday, NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared a photo of the comet taken from the International Space Station on social media.

“It’s absolutely amazing to see a comet from orbit. Atlas C2024-G3 pays us a visit,” he wrote.