A green comet has passed Earth for the first time in 50,000 years
A bright green comet will visit Earth's outer space for the first time in 50,000 years, and it could be in our neighborhood for a month.
NASA officials said the frozen visitor was first spotted in March 2022 when it was in the orbit of Jupiter.
It can be seen through binoculars as a small green glow to people in the northern hemisphere.
Scientists said that it will be at its closest point to Earth on the second day of February.
"Comets are notoriously unpredictable," NASA said in a blog post earlier this month, "but if a comet continues to be this bright, it will be easy to spot, and likely to become visible to the naked eye under dark skies."
The icy orb named C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is a hard-to-pronounce name, according to NASA. The comet made its closest approach to the Sun on January 12 before approaching Earth on February 2.
According to the Society for Planetary Studies, at that point the comet will be about 42 million kilometers from Earth.
Modest experience:
Retired high school science teacher and astrophotographer Dan Bartlett was taking pictures of the comet from his cabin near Yosemite National Park in California and describes looking up at the sky as a humbling experience. old night.
Bartlett keeps two stunning lenses on his balcony at Lake June, and clear nights and dark skies allow him to capture impressive images.
He also explained: "When you are in an area by the lake or the ocean, the existing air current is smooth, and the smooth air current means that the stars do not flash enough, so you will be able to get more details."
The Society for Planetary Studies said the comet would appear to observers without a telescope in the northern hemisphere as a "faint green spot in the sky," while observers through a telescope could see the comet's tail impressively clear.
Observers in the northern hemisphere will see a bright green glow in the morning as the comet travels to the northwest in January, NASA said. As for those in the southern hemisphere, they will be able to monitor it in February.
And NASA indicated that the comet is not expected to be an exciting sight, since the comet of 2020, nicknamed NEOWISE, was the brightest among the comets seen in the northern part since 1997.
NASA also said, "It will be a wonderful opportunity to connect personally with the icy visitor from far space outside our solar system."
The Society for Planetary Studies says the comet takes about 50,000,000 years to orbit the sun, which is why it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see it.
Source: websites