Oldest recent visitor does slow streak through skies

Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) sliced through the skies mid-January, slowly fading on its first visit to the Sun and planets in 180.000 years _ and likely to never visit again. 

“It’s basically starting to disintegrate, so it will fade, but nobody knows how rapidly,” said Otago Musdeum astronomer Ian Griffin. Viewing it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”

And that was the case for White Rock Road resident Warren Bolger, who took his camera, walked to his front gate and provided The Star with the result.

It shows a rather faint comet tail as the now headless wonder, Comet Atlas, made it way past earth _ likely to not visit this part of the Universe again as it slowly decays.

Bolger notes: “This photo was taken on the Editor of The Star’s property boundary at direction c.a. 240 deg SW at 10pm last evening (Jan 22).”