The Coming of the Comet

Comets are not unusual. Dozens of them are found every year and a handful – such as Halley’s Comet – are repeat visitors to our skies. But genuinely bright comets must tread a celestial path that takes them close to both the Sun and the Earth, ensuring that they are simultaneously well-lit and easily seen by humans. These are special events and Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is the brightest we have seen in a decade.