Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) To Pass by Earth After 50,000 Years: Here's How to Spot It

Andi C., Tech Times 07 January 2023, 08:01 am

When scientists ran the figures, they discovered a comet that has been approaching Earth ever since its last appearance 50,000 years ago.

Hindustan Times reports that the comet, dubbed C/2022 E3 (ZTF), will reportedly reach perihelion, or its closest point to the Sun, on Jan. 12, and would subsequently make a close approach to the Earth in early February, when it might reach 6th magnitude.

The long-period comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was found on March 2022, by the Zwicky Transient Facility, hence its acronym "ZTF," using the 1.2-m, f/2.4 Schmidt telescope at Mount Palomar. At the time of discovery, it was a small 17th-magnitude speck in the constellation Aquila, located five times further from the Sun than Earth.

What Does C/2022 E3 Look Like?

According to Space's description, its recent images reveal that the comet has two tails, one of which is astonishingly lengthy and has a distinguishing greenish tint. It is most likely because of a chemical called dicarbon, which is composed of two carbon atoms bound together, that the comet's head appears green. Rather than the comet's tail, this particular chemical reaction is primarily confined to its head.

Two distinct types of comet tails, one made mostly of gas and the other primarily of dust, are typically produced by comets. Because dust is a very good reflector of sunlight, dust tails are brighter and more impressive to the eye than gas tails. The most stunning comets can produce lengthy, dazzling tails and are dusty, making them remarkable celestial spectacles.

Additionally, gas tails are much fainter and have a bluish tint. The Sun's UV rays allow the gas to be ignited, which causes the tail to glow similarly to how phosphorescent paint glows under black light.

Best Way to Spot the Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF)

For space enthusiasts who want to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event, Planetary reports that the comet will be easiest to see if observers in the Northern Hemisphere scan the northwesterly skies just before sunrise. Without a telescope, Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) is expected to appear fainter than it actually is in the sky, with a greenish tinge. It is also not expected to have the dramatic, noticeable tail that Comet NEOWISE had in 2020.

On the evenings of Jan. 26 and 27, it wil be conveniently located crossing several degrees to the east of the Little Dipper's bowl. It will be 3.5° to the upper right of orange Kochab, the brightest of the two outer stars in the bowl, on the evening of Jan. 27.

The C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be located inside the borders of the hazy and faint constellation of Camelopardalis on the evening of Feb. 1, when it will be passing closest to Earth. On Feb. 5, it will pass just a few degrees to the west of the dazzling yellow-white star Capella, and will be directly overhead within the "The Kids" asterism in Auriga during the next night.