Next February, the Earth will have a date with a rare astronomical event that has not occurred in regarding 50,000 years, when humans will be able to see the “green comet”.
In a report on the subject, the Washington Post stressed the importance of this event, saying: “50,000 years ago, the Sahara desert was wet and fertile, and the Stone Age in Africa was in its infancy, and the world’s first sewing needle was invented, and then it was the most recent time it passed.” Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) visible from Earth.
For its part, “NASA” says that it will not be easy to watch this comet, which has been forgotten for a long time. But given that it’s the “last sighting” (and the first for all of Earth’s current inhabitants), it’s worth a try.
According to experts, February 1 or 2 are the two days during which the comet will pass at its closest point to Earth, so it is the most appropriate time to use binoculars or a telescope to watch the comet.
It is noteworthy that comets are large bodies made of dust and ice, and they revolve around the sun in elliptical paths, and they accelerate as they approach perihelion (which is the closest passage of a body to the sun), and slow down relatively when they recede to the farthest outer limits of the solar system.
The green comet in a photo taken by NASA
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered by two astronomers in March 2022. At that point, it was too faint to see with the naked eye or even with regular telescopes.
By last November, it had brightened and was visible with high-quality binoculars from dark areas.
The comet is shown in green. According to the “Washington Post”, it is believed that diatomic carbon is present in the head of this comet. At certain stages, it emits photons (packets of light) at wavelengths that appear green.
The star can be seen easily with binoculars, and perhaps even with the naked eye during part of the night, if the moon’s radiation is not strong and the sky is free of light pollution.
