- Chloe Kim and Madeline Halpert
- BBC
Retired science professor Dan captured this image of the comet from California, USA
A green comet passed through outer space surrounding planet Earth for the first time in about 50,000 years.
And the US space agency (NASA) says that the comet was spotted for the first time last March, while it was still in a location close to Jupiter.
The comet can be seen through simple binoculars, and it looks like a bright green ball to the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere.
The comet may remain in the outer space surrounding the Earth for about a month. Scientists say that it will be at its closest point to our planet on the second of next month.
NASA said in a statement about a week ago: “It is not possible to predict what will happen with the comet. But if it continues with the current lighting pattern, it will be easy to see.”
“It can become visible to the naked eye in the clear sky,” she added.
The comet was called “C / 2022 E3 – (ZTF). According to NASA, the closest point in its path to the sun was on January 12.
And by the second of next month, the comet is supposed to be at the closest point to Earth, about 40 million kilometers away, according to its trajectory on the Planetary Society website.
Exciting experience
Retired science professor and amateur space photographer, Dan Barlett, managed to take pictures of the comet from a secluded cabin in the Yosemite forests of California, USA. He said it was an exciting experience.
“I tell you, telephoto glasses, dark atmosphere, and you’ll be able to see,” Bartlett told the BBC. “Invite friends and share a once-in-a-lifetime view.”
Barlett keeps two “powerful telescopes” at his home near Lake John, and the clear weather there allows him to take amazing pictures.
He says: “When there is a lake nearby, or an ocean, the air flow is wide, which makes the stars glow a little, so more details appear in the sky.”
For observers with the naked eye, in the northern hemisphere, the comet will appear as a “faint green light in the sky,” while others using telescopes will be able to see it and see its tail clearly.
The bright green glow can be seen in the northern hemisphere, while the comet is gradually moving towards the northwest this month. As for the southern hemisphere, it will be visible next month, according to NASA’s assurances.
And NASA confirms that it is not expected that the comet will make a clear display, as we saw the comet “Newways” in 2020, which was considered the brightest comet in the northern hemisphere since 1997.
“But it remains an interesting opportunity to see the frozen visitor from the outer reaches of our solar system,” she added.
The comet takes about 50,000 years to complete its orbit around the sun, “so it is an opportunity that only comes once in a lifetime.”
