AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — This month, skygazers will be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime sight: a green comet named C/2022 E3 (ZTF) approaching Earth.
The comet, which has been passing through our solar system for a little more than 50,000 years, will reach its perihelion (or closest point to the sun) on Jan. 12, when it will be within 100 million miles of the sun, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
On February 2, the comet will only be about 26 million miles from Earth. This is the closest transaction since the Paleolithic era, the epoch of human history when Homo sapiens left Africa and settled in Asia and Europe.
To put it into perspective, Neanderthals still walked the earth the last time a comet passed by.
What does the E3 Comet look like?
According to NASA, predicting the brightness of a comet is difficult. NASA said that if it continues to brighten, it should be visible to the naked eye. It will also be green.
NASA said that in the Northern Hemisphere, the comet will appear in the morning towards the north. In February, it will move below the horizon and appear in the Southern Hemisphere.
Viewers can see the comet with the naked eye, but binoculars or telescopes will be your best bet.
How was the E3 comet discovered?
Discovered by astronomers Bryce Bolin and Frank Masci at the Zwicky Transient Facility in March 2022, comet E3 was the first to be spotted at Jupiter. It was initially believed to be an asteroid, according to Space.com.
The closer it got to the sun, the brighter it was. Comets do this as the sun’s heat causes frozen dust and gas to be released below the surface. The sun reflects these vapors, giving them the appearance of tails.
The comet is named where it was discovered (ZTF) and the year it was discovered (2022). Since it was found in the first part of March or the fifth “half month” of the year, the fifth letter of the alphabet is designated E. Finally, that third half month, hence E3.
What were people doing last time C/2022 passed E3?
It has now been 18,930,412 days since the comet last completed its orbit, according to data released by NASA’s JPL. At the time, Homo erectus, the predecessor of Homo sapiens, and the Neanderthals were using stone tools.
Some settlements were believed to have existed in the valleys. First, unblemished weapons were found, as well as fish with hook and line.
#Green #comets #streak #sky #time #Stone #Age
