A comet that was last viewed by the Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago could be seen tonight, with astrologists calling it the “comet of the century”.

Photographers and stargazers across the UK captured breathtaking images of Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), dubbed the "comet of the century,"

The comet follows the UK's skies being splashed with colour from the Northern Lights overnight on Thursday. The lights, also known as aurora borealis, were expected to be seen only as far south as the Midlands, but the spectacle was visible from the top of the UK in the Shetland Islands down to London.

Sky-gazers in the Northern Hemisphere can spot comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS with their naked eyes on Saturday, astronomers said. It has been dubbed "the comet of the century" because of how bright and visible it could be,

A comet that last passed Earth 80,000 years ago, when Neanderthals walked the Earth, will be visible to the naked eye starting Saturday evening. The comet is named Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, and scientists have dubbed it the “comet of the century” due to its brightness and visibility.

Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was last month seen from Earth for the first time since the Neanderthals were alive, some 80,000 years ago. On Saturday, a number of British stargazers said they had spotted the object, after the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) predicted it might be visible to the naked eye.

How, when, and where to look to see Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS after sunset this Saturday, Oct. 12, with sky charts, before it gradually fades from view.

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was visible during sunrise at Monfrague National Park in Spain on Sept. 30. Photo: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via

Scientists said a comet known as the Oort Cloud comet — or C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS — will pass by Earth on Saturday for the first time in 80,000 years.