Comet last seen in the time of Neanderthals could be spotted from the UK this weekend | Comets

Scientists said a comet that was last visible when Neanderthals walked on Earth could be spotted with the naked eye this weekend.

Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) has been dubbed the “comet of the century” due to its brightness and visibility, according to the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). Astronomers said it was last visible from our planet about 80,000 years ago and was only discovered in January 2023.

Stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere have already caught a glimpse of Comet A3, but now it can also be seen in the Northern Hemisphere, the company said. Between October 12th and 30th, people may be able to see the comet with binoculars or even with the naked eye. The next pass will be on Saturday, at a distance of about 44 m miles.

To see the comet, stargazers were told to look west shortly after sunset, which was 6:13 p.m. in London. The comet's tail, thought to be about 29 kilometers long, will be a prominent feature.

In a video on the society's website, deputy director Dr. Robert Massey that photographing the comet might be possible, especially with a digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR).

According to RAS, the comet comes from the Oort cloud – a huge spherical envelope that surrounds our solar system and contains billions of objects, including comets.