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.

Stargazers across the globe managed to capture the "comet of the century" as it whizzed across the northern hemisphere. Comet A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, did not disappoint astronomers who were anticipating how bright and visible it might be as it came within approximately 44 million miles of Earth on Saturday.

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.

Here are some of the best pictures of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS taken by photographers from around the UK.

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