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A newfound comet might light up the skies in fall of 2024, if we're lucky. But before focusing on our latest comet discovery, I first want to mention that this month marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of Comet Kohoutek. If you are of a certain age, you might cringe a little with the mere mention of that particular celestial object. As has often been said, the only thing predictable about comets is their unpredictability. When Comet Kohoutek was discovered when still remarkably far from the sun — out near the orbit of Jupiter (though nowhere near the planet itself) — the inference was that it was a giant among comets that would become extremely brilliant. Brightness predictions ranged up to magnitude -10 (as bright as a first or last quarter moon). Dr. Brian Marsden at the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams announced that this could be the "comet of the century." The mainstream media took him at his word and ballyhooed the approach of a comet so bright that it might even be visible in broad daylight. The world was prepared to witness a blazing celestial light show.

https://www.space.com/comet-coming-2024-could-be-bright