A recently identified green comet will soon pass by Earth for the primary time in 50,000 years. The Stone Age was the last time it was visible within the night sky.
The comet was discovered on March 2, 2022, by astronomers using the Wide Field Research Camera on the Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. According to NASA, the comet was closest to the Sun on January 12.
According to The Planetary Society, the comet, named C/2022 E3 (ZTF), is orbiting the Sun because it passes through the outer solar system, which explains why it took so long for it to pass Earth once.
According to EarthSky, the icy space object will pass Earth at its closest point between February 1 and a couple of, from a distance of 26 to 27 million miles (42 to 44 million kilometers). The comet will still be farther from Earth than the Moon even during its closest approach.
Observers will have the option to see the comet as a dark green streak near the intense star Polaris, commonly referred to as the North Star, because it approaches Earth. Due to their current position in orbit and chemical composition, comets reflect light in several colours.
The best time to watch the comet is within the early morning hours, after sunset for residents of the northern hemisphere, after midnight. It will likely be tougher for people within the southern hemisphere to see the space object.
Using binoculars or a telescope will make it easier to watch C/2022 E3 (ZTF), even though it could also be visible to the naked eye at nighttime, depending on its brightness. The comet’s trails of dust and charged particles, in addition to the intense green coma surrounding it, distinguish it from stars.
As the comet approaches the Sun, a coma forms around it, causing the ice to sublimate, i.e. immediately turn into gas. As a result, the comet appears hazy when viewed through a telescope. According to EarthSky, the comet will make its closest approach to Mars on February 10, after passing Earth.
The Virtual Telescope project will broadcast a live feed of the comet within the sky over Rome if clouds or bad weather make it unimaginable to see the sky. Also keep a watch out for added space events in 2023.
Source: CNN.com
