A night sky photographer captured a rare comet sighting alongside the southern lights in Tasmania on February 1. Ben Swanson’s 7,000 photos shot throughout the night were spliced together to create the stunning video.
The comet, C/2024 G3 Atlas, was visible in the Northern Hemisphere from mid-January but remained visible in the Southern Hemisphere until early February. According to Space.com, it is one of the few comets on record to be visible to the naked eye during daytime hours.
Due to its rarity and short visibility period, humans won’t set eyes on the comet again for thousands of years. However, it could return in 160,000 years if it’s not destroyed by then, according to Discover Magazine.
Swanson also captured a brilliant aurora australis, or southern lights, dancing across the sky that same night. The aurora can be seen year-round in Tasmania and is characterized by its green and purple hues.
Source: https://weather.com/science/space/news/2025-02-05-comet-atlas-and-aurora-light-up-tasmania-sky