Hot on tail of Quadrantids meteor showeranother celestial spectacle is about to arrive: comet Atlas C/2024 G3, which will reach perihelion—the point of its orbit closest to the sun—on January 13. On the same day, we’ll also see it at its most near it. point to Earth, and it will be the brightest comet in 2025, during a year when no other comets are likely to be visible to the naked eye. Here’s everything you need to know.

C/2024 G3 was discovered on April 5, 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (Atlas)—a network of telescopes that scan space for asteroids that might hit Earth. The comet originates from Oort Clouda remote region at the outer edge of the solar system that is believed to contain remnants of the materials that formed the planets of the solar system.

When comet C/2024 G3 reaches perihelion, it comes within just 13.5 million kilometers of the sun—for context, Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, orbits the star at a distance which is 47 million kilometers. According to the latest calculations reported in the Planetary SocietyC/2024 G3 can reach a brightness of magnitude –4.5, which is about the same as Venus, and can be seen with the naked eye by people located in the southern hemisphere.

However, the comet’s extraordinary journey to the sun raises questions about whether it can survive. Its orbital path suggests that it is a dynamically ancient comet, and that it is not the first to travel around the sun. In fact, its last approach is estimated to have been around 160,000 years ago, which means it may have survived a close pass. “It will be very hot and may not survive,” said Nick James, director of the comet section of the British Astronomical Association. “But if it does, it can be an impressive object in the night sky from the southern hemisphere after perihelion.”

How to Observe Comets

If it survives unscathed, the comet will be visible in the southern hemisphere in the west after sunset on January 13. The comet’s orbital configuration makes it difficult to observe for those in the northern hemisphere—it will appear low very much in heaven afterwards. sunset or just before sunrise, but probably drowned in twilight.

The comet’s proximity to the sun means that spotting it can be dangerous, and James says that C/2024 G3 “should only be observed if you are an experienced observer.” Directly looking at the sun without protective equipment can cause permanent eye damage.

There is also interference from the light of the moon, which is in its waning phases, which makes observation difficult. It may be possible to observe the comet with the naked eye in the southern hemisphere, but binoculars or a telescope may be required.

Those who do not want to miss the show can follow the comet in pictures from Solar and Heliospheric Observatory’s Lasco C3 coronagraph, or consult the IAU Minor Planet Center or the Comet Observing (COBS) database.

This story originally appeared on WIRED Italy and translated from the Italian.