Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered by astronomers using the Zwicky Transit Facility’s Wide Field Survey Camera in March 2022.
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Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered by astronomers using the Zwicky Transit Facility’s Wide Field Survey Camera in March 2022.
Bartlett/NASA
Welcome to NPR’s new series where we spotlight the people and things that make headlines — and the stories behind them.
For one night only! Meet C/2022 E3 (her friends call it the Green Comet for short).
Who is? Possible unprecedented celestial event. So replace the usual evening blue light with some green light instead. It’s a connection to history and the galaxy that won’t try to sell you anything.
- C/2022 E3 Comet features Bright green core and long, faint ion tail.
- It was discovered in March 2022, seen by telescope. But tonight, the comet is poised to be more visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere as it passes.
- This may be the first time ever (or at least in thousands of years) that a comet has encountered Earth. And you have to watch!
This is my first effort at capturing the “green comet,” Comet c/2022 E3 (ZTF). This was a particular challenge due to the wet and cloudy conditions, but I’m glad I was able to capture it at all! pic.twitter.com/t2VGEnfKX8
– Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy) January 19, 2023
what’s the big deal? We know very little about C/2022 E3, but its long orbit seems to be taking it from the outer reaches of the solar system and Then in the direction of the sun, according to the Planetary Society.
- It was discovered at the Zwicky Transit Facility on Palomar Mountain in California by astronomers Bryce Paulin and Frank Massey.
- Tonight, we’ll see it from just 26.4 million miles away. This is the closest it will get to Earth on its journey.
- This comet has not been this close since the Paleolithic period. You will see the same colors in the sky as some little freak that is long gone but never forgotten Such a dude.
What do people say?
“If C/2022 E3 had passed through the solar system before, it would have been last seen in the sky over 10,000 years ago.”
– John Giorgini, senior analyst at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NPR said
“You can find the comet by looking south from the Big Dipper, near the constellation Camelopardalis. If you can find the North Star, you can track it directly south of that.”
– Brice Bolin, one of the astronomers who discovered the comet, said the Washington Post
So what now? Your best bet for seeing the comet would be between Wednesday and Thursday, February 1-2. The glow will be most noticeable against the night sky, but this may vary depending on how much cloud cover your area is.
- Onlookers in the northern hemisphere may begin to see the comet’s faint glow in the morning sky. According to NASA. In the following days, the southern hemisphere may get a better chance at its turn.
- The comet may gain enough energy to exit our solar system, or it may remain attached to its elliptical orbit for another trip around the sun, Giorgini says.
- You can enjoy the misty green glow and enjoy the comfort that even if you are Do not file your taxes on timeThe green comet will still be rising there for many more years.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may look very dazzling in these NASA images, but here’s a closer idea of what you might see in the sky tonight. # filter
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may look very dazzling in these NASA images, but here’s a closer idea of what you might see in the sky tonight. # filter
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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