Green comet will swing by Earth for the first time in 50,000 years

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A recently discovered green comet approaches Earth for the first time in 50,000 years. It was last seen in the night sky during the Stone Age.

Discovered on March 2, 2022 by astronomers using the Wide Field Survey Camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, the comet made its closest approach to the Sun on January 12. . NASA.

Named C/2022 E3 (ZTF)comets have orbits around the Sun that pass outside the solar system. Planetary Society.

The icy object will be closest to Earth between February 1 and 2, about 26 to 27 million miles (42 to 44 million kilometers) away. earth sky.

Even at its closest approach, the comet is more than 100 times the distance from Earth to the Moon, according to EarthSky.

As the comet approaches Earth, observers can spot it as a faint green smudge near the bright star Polaris, also known as the North Star. Reflects different colors of light.

For people in the northern hemisphere, the early morning sky with the moon setting after midnight is the best time to see the comet. Space objects are less visible to people in the Southern Hemisphere.

Depending on the brightness, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may be visible to the naked eye even in dark skies, but binoculars and telescopes make the comet easier to see.

Comets can be distinguished from stars by their striped tails of dust and energized particles and the glowing green coma that surrounds them.

A coma is an envelope that forms around a comet as it passes near the Sun, and its ice either sublimates or turns directly into gas. This makes the comet appear blurry when viewed with a telescope.

After the comet passes the earth, Mars closest approach on February 10according to Earth Sky.

If clouds or bad weather interfere with skywatching, The Virtual Telescope Project shares a live stream of comets Above Rome.and don’t miss Other celestial events to watch in 2023.