Paranal's visitor Comet C/2024 G3

The Sun sets down at ESO's Paranal Observatory and the sky is transformed from pale blue to red to black. The four 1.8-metre Auxiliary Telescopes from ESO's Very Large Telescope open their domes to observe the night sky, as if they were welcoming its new visitor: Comet C/2024 G3. This feathered comet soared the skies of Chile's Atacama Desert in early 2025, leaving incredible images behind. As the night advances, the comet travels to the horizon together with the stars, but not all objects in the night sky follow this path. Like rain drops, the fast white strikes that inundate the night sky remind us of an increasing source of light pollution: satellite constellations.