Skywatcher alert: A green comet is coming our way
According to NASA and astronomers, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZFT), said to be bright green with a long, faint ion tail, will soon be passing our way for the first known time.
The comet was just discovered in March of 2022, and little is known of its path. It is not known whether it has ever passed earth previously (that would have been about 10,000 years ago), or whether it will ever pass again. It could gain the energy to leave our solar system, or it could continue to travel around the sun.
Comets comprise frozen gases, rock and dust. As they near the sun, its heat causes them to spew gases and dust, which creates their well known glowing nucleus and flaming tail. Some comet tails stretch for millions of miles.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZFT) will become visible in the morning sky with instruments on January 12, when it is closest to the sun. Between February 1 and February 2, the comet will be coming closest to earth, and may possibly be visible as a green glow to the naked eye. Binoculars or telescopes will be needed to see the comet’s nucleus (body).
Even when closest to earth, the green comet will still be about 26 million miles away-over 100 times farther away than the moon.
More on the Green Comet from NASA:
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!