Rare green comet passes the Greater Vancouver area for the first time in 50,000 years | Observatory | Space Agency | Jupiter

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[The Epoch Times, January 12, 2023](The Epoch Times reporterTang RenCompiled report in Vancouver, Canada)A rare comet will pass by Metro Vancouver for the first time in 50,000 years, or since the appearance of the Earth’s original inhabitants, the Neanderthals.

According to NASA, the comet, numbered C/2022 E3 (ZTF), was first spotted by astronomers in March 2022, when it entered the orbit of Jupiter.

Astronomer Marley Leacock of the HR MacMillan Space Center told the Vancouver Is Awesome reporter: Scientists discovered the comet using the wide-field camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in California. Based on its orbital parameters, it should be classified as a hyperbolic comet, which takes about 50,000 years to orbit the sun. That means it likely came from the Oort Nebula and may have been last seen in the solar system.

According to space.com, the comet has a “gorgeous green color” that is visible to the naked eye.

viewing tips

According to astronomer Leacock, although Metro Vancouver residents may spot the comet with the naked eye, if you want to see it clearly, you’d better bring 40 to 50mm binoculars or a small telescope.

If you were to look at it with the naked eye, it would likely appear as a faint speck in the sky. And the moon will rise at the same time that night, which can hinder viewing, so try to keep your back to the moon.

The “green comet” is expected to reach magnitude 6 or slightly higher at its closest approach to Earth. Because this is the limit of naked eye observation, it is best to go to places outside the city to see it.

The comet will make its closest approach to Metro Vancouver on February 1 and will be visible throughout the night. The sun will then set around 5pm and it will appear very close to the north celestial pole in the northern sky, so using Polaris as a marker and looking around the area is a good place to start. You can hold out your fist at sunset, to the right of Polaris, and align its base with the horizon, with the comet at about 5 fist heights. It will rise to its highest point between 9 and 10 p.m., about two fists or so above Polaris.

Editor in charge: Li Ying

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