A comet discovered in 2022 is now passing through the inner solar system for the first time in 50,000 years. “It should be visible with a telescope and probably with binoculars” the second half of January in the northern hemisphere and from February 2 in the southern hemisphere, NASA reported.
Comets are icy celestial bodies that usually release gas and dust following their passage, they contain dust, ice, carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane and other compounds. As reported, its main characteristic is that it has a green halo.
The celestial body, which was named C/2022 E3 (ZTF), was first sighted in March of last year, when it was already within Jupiter’s orbit. It made its closest approach to the Sun on January 12, and will pass its closest point to Earth on February 2, NASA reported.
The “green” comet has an orbit around the Sun that passes through the confines of the solar system, which is why it has taken so long to return to Earth, according to The Planetary Society. This scientific dissemination entity added that “the comet will be closest to us on February 1, at a distance of regarding 42 million kilometers.”
The comet is distinguished from the stars by its tails of dust and energized particles, as well as the bright green coma that surrounds it.. The coma is an envelope that forms around a comet when it passes close to the Sun, causing its ice to sublime, or to turn directly into gas. This makes the comet look fuzzy when viewed through telescopes, he noted.
Published in: DIGITAL EVANGELICAL – SCIENCE
– A green comet visits Earth for the first time in 50,000 years
