Scientists and lovers of astronomical phenomena are looking forward to seeing the comet “C/2022 E3 (ZTF)”, which will pass near the sun in late January, for the first time in 50,000 years.
This newly discovered comet can be seen with the naked eye.
The small rock and ice comet, which was monitored by the Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar Observatory, California, in March 2022, has an estimated diameter of about one kilometer.
According to scientists, the comet was observed at the time of its passage in the orbit of Jupiter, and is currently heading towards the sun, as it reaches its closest point to it on January 12.
When the comet approaches the sun, the ice in its nucleus sublimes, that is, it turns from a solid state to a gaseous state, leaving a long trail of dust that reflects the sunlight.
This dust will look like shiny hair, and it will be possible to see it from Earth as the comet approaches.
“The comet reaches its peak brightness when it is closest to Earth,” explained Thomas Prince, a professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology, who works for ZTF. But this phenomenon will be less exciting than the passage of comets Hale-Bopp in 1997 and New Wise in 2020, which are much larger.
The star can be seen easily with binoculars, and perhaps with the naked eye in part of the night, if the moon’s radiation is not strong and the sky is free of light pollution.
The best time to see the comet is likely to be on January 21 and 22, and the week after that.
The passage of this comet is an opportunity for scientists to understand more about the formation of comets, through observations made by the “James Webb” space telescope.
TRT Arabic – Agencies