Comet C/2024 E1, better known as Wierzchos, is skimming past the Sun in a tight, blazing turn that will fling it back toward the inner solar system and into Earth’s skies. The encounter is brief, but it transforms a faint, icy body into a dynamic object with a growing tail and a rare chance for backyard observers to track a comet fresh from its solar close‑up.
As the comet swings through this perihelion passage, its brightness, trajectory, and evolving tail are giving astronomers a live laboratory for how these fragile visitors respond to intense sunlight. For the rest of us, the dive toward the Sun and the return leg toward Earth offer a reminder that even “quiet” celestial milestones can reshape the night sky in a matter of weeks.
Wierzchos makes its fiery turn around the Sun
Solar system comet C/2024 E1, or Wierzchos, is now at the heart of its encounter with the Sun, reaching its closest point in an event astronomers call perihelion. As it sweeps through this tight arc, the nucleus is heated so intensely that ices trapped for ages begin to vaporize, feeding gas and dust into the comet’s characteristic tail and brightening the fuzzy coma that surrounds its core. Reporting on Solar system dynamics around this passage has emphasized how quickly the Sun’s energy can sculpt such a small, fragile object.
Enthusiasts have framed the moment in almost poetic terms, describing how a Cosmic Visitor Reaches as Comet C/2024 E1 brushes past the Sun. Another account notes that this close approach to the Sun is the culmination of a long inward journey from the outer solar system, a fleeting but transformative moment in the comet’s story.
How bright is the comet, and can you see it?
For observers, the key question is always visibility, and the early numbers for Wierzchos are encouraging. Currently, the comet is reported to shine like a star between magnitude 8 and 8.7, which puts it well within reach of small backyard telescopes and decent binoculars under dark skies. That assessment notes that, Currently, such brightness should make the fuzzy glow relatively easy to pick up for anyone who knows where to look and has a clear horizon away from city lights.
Because the comet is hugging the Sun in the sky during perihelion, it is not yet a showpiece object high overhead in the middle of the night. Instead, its visibility window is tied to twilight and low angles, a challenge that experienced observers are already working around with finder charts and careful planning. Video explainers on Comets in January describe how a comet can appear fainter yet linger in our nighttime view when its orbit keeps it relatively far from the Sun in our sky, a contrast that helps frame why Wierzchos may brighten quickly as it swings outward and climbs into darker hours.
From quiet milestone to returning visitor
As the comet rounds the Sun and begins to recede, astronomers are already talking about this perihelion as a subtle but meaningful marker in the broader story of icy bodies that wander through the inner solar system. One widely shared description calls January 20 a quiet milestone in the narrative of Comet C/2024 E1, stressing that it reminds us that even the most distant, silent travelers change when they meet warmth and sunlight and that Soon, Comet C/2024 E1 will drift back into a quieter phase. Another reflection on the same event notes that, On January, the universe reaches a quiet milestone as the comet completes a journey from the icy outer edges of space into the inner solar system and back again, emphasizing that what we see in the sky is the result of a journey rather than a sudden, isolated event.
That sense of narrative is not just poetic license. The path Wierzchos follows is a classic example of how gravity shapes cometary orbits into long, looping ellipses that can take years or centuries to complete. One account of the event stresses that, After this close pass, the comet will continue along its trajectory, a reminder that these objects are not fireworks that burn out in an instant but recurring visitors that can return to the inner solar system again and again. A separate video reflection on how On January the universe reaches a quiet milestone underscores that what looks like a brief brightening in our sky is actually the visible tip of a much longer orbital story.
A crowded comet season above Earth
Wierzchos is not the only icy traveler drawing attention this year, which helps explain why comet watchers are so energized about the current sky. Early in the year, observers were already tracking 24P/Schaumasse, with one detailed bulletin greeting readers with “Welcome to 2026!” and noting that Schaumasse was at its best around 8th magnitude, Visible from both hemispheres and sporting a strong anti‑tail. Nightly guides have highlighted how The Sky Today on Tuesday features Comet Schaumasse sliding past a few nearby galaxies, turning a single field of view into a layered snapshot of our cosmic neighborhood.
Alongside these periodic visitors, observers are also watching more exotic objects. One recent campaign followed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it made its closest approach to Earth before heading back toward interstellar space, with coverage describing how the Interstellar visitor passed within tens of millions of miles of Earth. Another report on the same object notes that this interstellar comet, designated ATLAS, is now heading back out of the solar system, a reminder that not every comet that graces our skies is bound to return.
Great comets, planetary parades, and what comes next
Looking beyond Wierzchos, Astronomers are already debating whether another icy body could become the so‑called “Great Comet of 2026.” Early analysis notes that specialists do not yet know how brightly this candidate will shine during its solar flyby, and that the uncertainty reflects how difficult it is to predict how a nucleus will respond as it heats up. One detailed overview from Astronomers explains that a smaller perihelion distance often equates to a greater brightness, but that volatile content and fragmentation can dramatically change the outcome. A separate summary from Live Science notes that Space based observations will be crucial in tracking how this potential showpiece evolves as it approaches the Sun.
Even if no single object reaches “great comet” status, the broader sky is shaping up to be busy. One popular observing guide highlights a coming Planetary Parade, describing how, On the evening of February 28, several planets will line up after sunset to create a striking tableau for skywatchers. Another overview of the year’s best icy visitors notes that new discoveries like 6AC4721 are expected to pass near the sun in the, adding fresh targets to an already full observing calendar.
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