From the sea – The green comet with the official name C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is approaching Earth at its closest approach in early February. This comet can only be seen once in a lifetime.
Quoting the News Agency Associated Press (AP) A green comet is hurtling toward Earth after 50,000 years. The comet approached Earth within 26 million miles (42 million kilometers) of Earth Wednesday before speeding again, unlikely to return for millions of years.
As it passes near Earth, according to Research Center for Space Research and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Andi Prince, this comet can be seen throughout Indonesia from February 1 at 18.30 to February 2 at 02.30 local time (according to each time zone). ) from the north near the constellation Camelopardalis.
Andi said this comet only passed once in its lifetime because of its hyperbolic orbit.
A hyperbolic orbit is an orbit that has an eccentricity value greater than one, so that it forms an open curve at both foci.
This harmless green comet is already visible in the northern night sky with binoculars and small telescopes, and possibly with the unaided eye in the darkest corners of the Northern Hemisphere.
It’s expected to clear as it gets closer and rise higher above the horizon through late January, and is best seen in the early hours of the morning. On February 10, the green comet will be near Mars.
Skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere will have to wait until next month to catch a glimpse.
Many comets have graced the sky over the past year. “This comet may appear to be a little bigger and therefore a little brighter and come a little closer to Earth’s orbit,” said NASA comet and asteroid tracker Paul Choda, citing AP.
This comet was discovered last March by astronomers using Zwicky Transient Facilitywide field camera in Caltech’s Palomar Observatory. This explains its complicated official name: comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF).
Zwicky Transient Facility is the name of an astronomical observation facility with a wide field of view, which uses a camera connected to the Samuel Oschin telescope at the Palomar Observatory, California, United States.
On Wednesday, the comet will hurtle between Earth and Mars orbit at a relative speed of 128,500 mph (207,000 kilometers). The point is estimated to be about a mile (1.6 kilometers) long, with its tail elongated.
The comet is not expected to be as bright as Neowise in 2020, or Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake in the mid to late 1990s.
Astronomer University of Hawaii Karen Meech explained that the comet will be bright because of its proximity to Earth which will allow scientists to carry out more experiments and the public can see the beautiful comet.
Scientists believe their orbit calculations place the comet’s last swing through the solar system’s planetary neighborhood at 50,000 years ago. But they don’t know how close it came to Earth or whether it was even seen by Neanderthals, said Chodas, director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at Jet Propulsion Laboratory California NASA.
Every time a comet circles the sun and planets, its gravitational pull slightly changes the icy ball’s path, leading to a large change in direction over time. Bursts of dust and gas flow from comets as they heat up near the sun.
“We don’t know exactly how much they’re pushing the comet,” Chodas said.
Comet – a time capsule from the solar system that emerged 4.5 billion years ago – originates in what is known as the Oort Cloud far beyond Pluto. The comet stretches more than a quarter of the way to the next star.
According to Chodas, even if comet ZTF comes from the solar system, we can’t be sure it will still be there. If removed from the solar system, this comet will never return.
Across Indonesia
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is expected to passing near Earthincluding Indonesia, in early February 2023. This comet can be observed without using optical aids.
According to Andi, this comet is expected to pass near Earth on February 2 at 00.32 WIB / 01.32 WITA / 02.32 WIT at a distance of 42,472,000 km from Earth.
The comet’s brightness when it passes near Earth reaches +4.94. Thus, it is possible for this comet to be observed using the head’s eye for very low light polluted areas (inland areas) to light (rural areas).
Meanwhile, for moderate light polluted areas (suburban/suburban areas) to high (urban/urban areas) it is quite difficult to observe this comet.
On January 30, the comet can be seen until 05.30 local time in the North.
Meanwhile, on January 31, the comet sets at 04.00 local time and the comet’s setting time will be faster every day.
On February 1, the first appearance of a comet always occurs after sunset because the comet’s sunrise occurs before sunset.
This comet can be observed without using optical aids for remote and rural areas until February 13, from 18:30 to 01:00 local time from North to West near the constellation Taurus.
Source: Lapan.go.id and Apnews.com (AP)
