A recently found green comet approaches Earth
On Wednesday, a recently found comet will pass by Earth at its closest.
According to scientists, the object travelled toward us for almost 50,000 years. Scientists’ pictures reveal a striking green tint surrounding the comet’s body. But anyone anticipating a dazzling emerald streak in the sky will be let down. Its brilliance is almost at the edge of what the human eye can see.
According to rumours, a blue-green object will soon light up the sky, says Dr. Robert Massey, senior executive director of the “Royal Astronomical Society.”
If you understand what to watch for, you might be able to spot a smudge in the sky away from light interference and beneath pitch-black skies. It will appear as a faint white smudge through binoculars, where it will be easier for would-be astronomers to see.
Even a modest set of binoculars will aid in the search, according to Massey. Mostly ice and dust make up comets. The ice is vaporized and the dust is shook loose as they get closer to the sun, producing the distinctive long tail.
The comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was found by scientists in March at the Palomar Laboratory in California.
For the previous two weeks, those in the Northern Hemisphere have been able to see it using binoculars.
But this Wednesday, it will be approximately 41 million kilometres (26 million miles) from Earth when it makes its closest approach.
The outermost layer, a cluster of frozen bodies near the boundary of the Solar System, is where the object first formed.
Massey advises beginning your search for it by looking for the pole star, which is always located in the same location in the sky.
The pole star can be found by gazing due north and finding a star that hangs conspicuously by itself. The comet’s position in reference to the pole star on the night you plan to view it can then be calculated using free online planetarium software.
The moon will have been established early on Thursday morning, making that the ideal time to see it. It is typical for comets to appear green, which is typically caused by the disintegration of the dicarbon molecule, which is composed of two carbon atoms bound by a double bond. Camera systems, which are more colour-reactive are better able to capture this type of colour
The comet will fall short of the display provided by the comet “NEOWISE in 2020,” which is the brightest comet to be seen from the Northern Hemisphere since 1997.