Lately, there seems to be no shortage of fascinating astronomical phenomena worth looking for in the night – and occasionally the daytime – sky. From solar eclipses to lunar eclipses to meteor showers to aurora displays, the past few years have been a delight for anyone interested in the wonders of the universe – or at least looking for a break from what’s happening here on Earth.
There have also been a series of comets that have captured our collective curiosity; the earliest one I remember specifically heading out to see was Comet NEOWISE in the summer of 2020; it was one of the first ‘events’ I attended with other people, as a group of amateur astronomers and enthusiasts inadvertently congregated in a dark park to admire the comet’s bright nucleus and brush-stroke tails.
Since then, there have been other comets to spot in the night sky, including one that recently put on a spectacular show – especially in the southern hemisphere. If you haven’t heard of Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) until now, you’ll wish you had sooner – but at least we have some amazing photos of the ‘Great Comet of 2025’ to inspire the world to get out and look up at the stars.
Discovery & History of C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was discovered on April 5, 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). A comet’s designation holds key details about its discovery and classification:
- “C” denotes a non-periodic comet, meaning it either makes a one-time pass through the Solar System or takes over 200 years to complete an orbit.
- “2024 G3” indicates it was discovered in the first half of April 2024 and was the third comet identified during that period.
- “ATLAS” credits the discovery to the ATLAS survey, a cutting-edge system designed to detect potential Earth-impacting asteroids.
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) intrigued astronomers since its detection; initially classified as a dynamically new comet (one making its first foray into the inner Solar System) it was thought to be at high risk of disintegration during its closest approach to the Sun.
As an exceptionally long period (around 180,000 years) comet due to its highly elongated orbit, C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) likely came from the Oort Cloud, a sphere of comets around the solar system. It reached perihelion (its closest point to the sun during its orbit) on January 13, 2025.
It seems that the comet’s nucleus has broken apart after failing to withstand the Sun’s intense heat; a set of images taken by Lionel Majzik between January 18 and 20 shows that the largest fragments of the comet’s breakup are now stretched out in a line where its head would normally be.
This has caused the comet to dim much more quickly than if its nucleus had remained intact after perihelion; don’t worry though: the comet has put on an incredible show, especially for southern hemisphere viewers, observing the comet after sunset in the past few weeks.
Top Photos of Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
Even before Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) reached perihelion, there were some amazing photos of it. The first one that captured most people’s attention was taken by astronaut Don Pettit aboard the International Space Station. Here you can see the comet lit by the sun while the ISS is still beyond the edge of the horizon.
Some of the best photos of C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) were taken in Chile, including this one where the comet shines brightly over the light pollution of La Serena – a coastal town of half a million people.
The best set of photos of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was taken from the area near the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Paranal; this is in the Atacama Desert, one best places for stargazing in the world.
A series of photos was released in early February, highlighting the incredible starry dark skies, and comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) with multiple tails.
Even in black and white, Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) puts on a show, as pictured here directly over one of the many large pieces of astronomical observatory equipment at the site.
A closer view shows the distinct tails of Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS); even after its nucleus has broken apart, these tails are formed by the now-many smaller bodies of the comet moving through space.
And here is the full frame of the image shared at the top of this article, showing the incredible long tails of Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) against a beautiful sunset.
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is no longer visible in the northern hemisphere and is rapidly dimming for southern hemisphere viewers with proper equipment t oview it in all its glory (binoculars, telescope, or a camera).
While it may be the ‘Great Comet of 2025,’ there is another comet on the calendar this year; in mid-December 2025, Comet 240P/NEAT will also pass perihelion. This one will again be best visible for those at the equator or south of it, and hopefully it too will put on a show that we can at least all admire in pictures.
