A green comet that has just been discovered is going to fly past our Pale Blue Dot and could possibly be seen with the unaided eye.
The named green comet, designated C/2022 E3 (ZTF), was expected to approach the Sun between January 12 and February 2 before orbiting back towards Earth. This prediction was made by N.A.S.A and CalTech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to see the comet in the early sky around the end of January, according to a JPL report. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere should be able to see it starting in early February.
According to Space.com, the best viewing occurs on January 21 during the new moon, when the sky would be almost completely dark without the Moon’s illumination.
Even though comets are notoriously unpredictable, according to the JPL, if this one keeps up its current brightness trend, it will be easy to spot using binoculars and might even become visible to the unaided eye in low light.
Using a wide-field survey camera at CalTech’s Zwicky Transient Facility, this peculiar green comet was spotted inside Jupiter’s orbit in March 2022 and was the first comet ever discovered. It has been getting closer to the Sun ever since, and as N.A.S.A noted in a blog post about the comet, it will be close to Earth on February 1 when it reaches its perigee.
According to JPL data, which was made public by Space.com, the last time this lovely green monster came this near to Earth was roughly 50,000 years ago, making Neanderthals from the Ice Age the last people to have seen it.
C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may be difficult to view as it travels toward and away from Earth depending on light pollution and weather, but be assured that skywatchers with pricey telephoto lenses or access to institutional telescopes will be able to capture stunning images of it.
