C/2024 G3 Atlas was first discovered in April 2024 by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System.  It is an Oort Cloud Comet, thought to originate from a sphere of icy remnants from the formation of the solar system. Not surprising seeing the orbital period of G3 Atlas is 160 000 years.  It is also thought to have visited this part of the solar system at least once before.

Nasa’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) observed the comet in its field of view on the 14th January as it approached perihelion. 

As for myself, rare clear skies over Nowra meant I rushed home from work to drive to a vantage point at Nowra Hill. High winds didn’t stop my RF 70-200mm lens from capturing some photos after 9pm on the 22nd of January. Although the comet was right in the flight path of aircraft flying from Melbourne to Sydney it was still a once in a 160 000 year spectacle.