Attention, Skygazers: Rare, Greenish Comet Expected to Pass By Earth

The "Green Comet," also known as Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), just reached its closest approach to the Sun after spending tens of thousands of years traveling from the solar system's farthest reaches.

The comet is predicted to be at its brightest between January 31 and February 1, 2023, when it will be only slightly brighter than 6th magnitude and closest to Earth. There is no danger of Earth being struck by this cosmic fuzziness while you see it since, at its closest approach, it will be 26 million miles distant, according to Phys.org.

What Are Comets?

Large ice and dust-based bodies known as comets circle the Sun. These ancient objects, best known for their long, streaming tails, are relics from the solar system's birth 4.6 billion years ago.

Comets may be ejected from their Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud habitats by the gravitational pull of a planet or star. A comet may be steered toward the Sun by this pull. These comets' rerouted courses resemble lengthy, stretched ovals.

Magnificent Occurrences

The comet swings around behind the Sun as it approaches the Sun with increasing speed before turning around and returning to its original direction. Some comets collide with the Sun and disappear, never to be seen again. We could view a comet in our sky while it is in the inner solar system, either arriving or departing.

Elaina Hyde, an assistant professor at York University and the director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory in the Faculty of Science, notes that it will pass over the constellation Corona Borealis shortly before dawn here in Toronto, with February 1 being the best day to watch it. "The Allan I. Carswell Observatory intends to use our one-meter telescope to target this fascinating object."

Studying C/2022 E3

About 50,000 years ago, C/2022 E3 passed past Earth. It may leave forever. A comet's name has a function for each component! It enables us to determine the comet's classification, discovery location, and time.

On February 1 at 1:11 p.m. EST, it will be 42 million kilometers from Earth at its closest, but people are still determining how brilliant it will be.

By the end of the month, though, it may be feasible to see the comet without a telescope or even decent binoculars, according to York Assistant Professor Sarah Rugheimer, who holds the Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy. It will also depend on the light pollution in your location and the sky's visibility.

In addition to a Wednesday night online live teletube beginning at 7:30 p.m., York's Allan I. Carswell Observatory sponsors a Monday night York University Radio Show and online public viewing from 9 to 10 p.m. EST. This might be one of the finest methods to see the comet, weather allowing.