an unusual green kite that passes through the Earth every 50,000 years can be seen in the country starting this weekend and more clearly during the first days of the following week. Its about comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), which was discovered in early 2022 when it was within the orbit of Jupiterthe fifth planet of the solar system.
This star takes 50 thousand years to complete a complete orbit around the Sunas explained by the astrophysicist and researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (Conicet), Beatriz García, who maintained that in the southern hemisphere, “it will only be able to be detected on the night of February 4.”
Those who live in the north of the planet will have better opportunities to see it since its closest approach to Earth will occur today, February 1at a distance of 42 million kilometers, which is equivalent to 109 times the average distance from Earth to the Moon.
In the days surrounding its closest approach it is expected to become brighter and easier to see with the naked eye or binoculars. “We don’t know how bright it’s going to be, the predictions say it’s going to be seen with the naked eye, but no one knows for sure,” Garcia said. And he added that “it could reach an integrated brightness, of magnitude 5, in which case it would be seen because it is a magnitude that the human eye can detect.”
For their part, specialists from the Planetarium contributed that between February 6 and 7 will be when it can be seen bestespecially those who are further north of the country.
How to observe the “green comet” and what are its characteristics
“It is going to be seen looking towards the North, at sunset and already very late at night. The problem is that there will also be a crescent Moon and that can become an obstacle,” said the astrophysicist.
In addition, The Virtual Telescope Project publishes information and images on its website, while astronomy fans will be able to follow the exact position on this astronomical map.
According to the information offered by NASA and the expert provided in an interview with National Geographic, these are the characteristics of the “green comet”:
- C/2022 E3 (ZTF) bears its name in honor of the observatory that discovered it, ZTF (Zwicky Transient Facility), located in California, United States.
- ZTF astronomers found the comet using the Zwicky Wide Field Survey Camera in early March 2022.
- The “green comet” is named for its greenish ball (tail of the comet) composed of diatomic carbon molecules in a gaseous state.
- It is a long period comet. It comes from the region of the solar system called the Oort Cloud, located one light year away from the Sun.
- It is at its closest point to the Sun, and on February 2, 2023, it will pass the Earth at a distance of 42.5 million kilometers.