Watch out for the "green comet"

50,000 years ago our ancestors looked up to the sky and saw it. Now the comet is back for us to see in 2023.

Get your binoculars ready! You don’t want to miss this.

On February 1st keep your eyes peeled at the sky because you will be one of the first people in the last 50 millennia to see this event. What event are we talking about? Well, it is none other than the “green comet” that is going to shoot past the earth on the 1st of February. And what’s more? It is going to be visible to the naked eye!

January 21st was the ideal time to view the comet as it was a new moon day. On February 1st it will be closest to the Earth.

The comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was spotted for the first time in March last year. It was caught shooting past Jupiter by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California, United States. This year it will be visible to the unaided eye from Earth. The best time to watch for the comet is on 1st February as that is when it will be nearest to the Earth. The comet is made of gas and dust and its diameter is about 1km.

Why is it green?

Its iconic green color comes from the greenish aura that it emits. A molecule in the comet, called diatomic carbon, absorbs the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The following reaction produces the green aura.

How to find the comet?

If you want to see the comet, all you have to do is look to the north. The comet should be visible between the Big Dipper and Little Dipper constellations. You should be able to see it with the unaided eye but if you are struggling, you can always use a pair of binoculars.

Make sure you don’t miss this opportunity to see the “green comet”. It won’t be coming back for a really very long time!