Astronomers believe Comet C/2024 G3 will be brighter than Venus next week and will likely become the brightest comet of 2025. It has already become as bright as the famous stars Antares and Spica, but this does not mean that it can be easily seen, writes IFLScience.

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Venus is currently one of the brightest objects in the night sky, but comet C/2024 G3 could become brighter than the planet next week. Its brightness should peak on January 13, when it is expected to be 6 times brighter than the brightest comet of 2024 C/2023 A3. Astronomers believe the comet's magnitude will be minus 6. For comparison, the apparent magnitude of Venus is minus 4.9.

Last year, Comet C/2023 A3 was expected to have a magnitude of minus 8, but it ended up having a magnitude of minus 4. That is, predictions regarding the brightness of the comet did not come true. Something similar could happen to Comet C/2024 G3. It will still be a very exciting event.

Although it will be extremely difficult to see comet C/2024 G3 on January 13, because it will be at the closest point to the Sun. But in a few days the comet, although dimmer, will be better visible in the sky. But to do this, the comet must survive a close encounter with the Sun.. Also, comet C/2024 G3 will only be visible in the northern hemisphere for a few days due to its flight path.

Now comet C/2024 G3 is approaching the Sun and on January 13 it will be at its closest distance from our star. This is a circumsolar comet, that is, an object that approaches the Sun at a very close distance. This comet was first discovered last year.

Because near-solar comets fly so close to the sun, they are at risk of complete disintegration when the sun's heat melts the icy object and it evaporates..

Comet C/2024 G3 will be 10 times closer to the Sun than Earth has ever been and 4 times closer than Mercury. This comet has a very elongated elliptical orbit and is believed to have last come close to the Sun 135,000 years ago.. Although this is a very long time, it still means that during the last approach to the Sun the comet survived. So this can be cleared up now.

As Focus already wrote, the most powerful space telescope in the world made history by discovering a record number of new stars in a distant galaxy. Astronomers immediately discovered 44 separate huge stars in a distant part of the Universe, which they could not do before.

Focus also wrote that scientists from NASA showed what measurements occur on the surface of Mars when spring comes there. Interestingly, along with spring, a new year began on Mars, which will last almost 2 Earth years.