A stunning image of a comet was photographed from Abu Dhabi on Monday, January 13.

In a post on social media platform X, the UAE's Astronomy Centre shared a breathtaking image of the Comet 'Atlas' (C/2024 G3), captured by the Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory in Abu Dhabi. The image, deemed one of the "more remarkable comet sightings" in recent years by NASA, shows the comet shining brightly at a magnitude of -2.5.

Photographed at 3.36pm UAE time, this rare and impressive astronomical event occurred when Comet Atlas was at its closest point to the Sun, known as perihelion. At the time of the photograph, the comet was just 5 degrees away from the Sun and 29 degrees above the horizon.

The observatory team used a 4-inch diameter refractor telescope and a monochrome camera to capture the image. The final image is a composite of 500 individual shots, highlighting the comet's brightness and clarity.

As Comet Atlas nears its closest approach to the Sun, it is expected to become visible to the naked eye in the coming days. Stargazers can look forward to seeing the bright comet in the western sky shortly after sunset.

In addition to Comet Atlas, residents in the UAE can look forward to another celestial event this month—. Occurring between January 10 and late February, the best visibility for this phenomenon will be from January 21 to early February.

For those with access to telescopes, the planet parade offers a rare opportunity to view details like Saturn's rings and Jupiter’s lines and moons, making this a perfect time for astronomy enthusiasts in the UAE to gaze at the wonders of the sky.