Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was detected by astronomers using the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility in March 2022.
Dan Bartlett/NASA
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Dan Bartlett/NASA
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was detected by astronomers using the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility in March 2022.
Dan Bartlett/NASA
Welcome to the new NPR series, where we highlight the people and things that are making headlines – and the stories behind them.
Just for one night! Meet C/2022 E3 (her friend calls it the blue comet).
Who is she? A potentially unprecedented celestial body. So trade your typical evening blue light for some green light instead. It’s a connection to history and the galaxy won’t try to sell you anything.
- C/2022 E3 is a comet marked by bright green core and long faint ion tail.
- It was discovered in March 2022 and has been seen with a telescope. But tonight, the comet is best visible to the naked eye in the northern hemisphere as it passes by.
- This may be the first time (or at least in thousands of years) that a comet has passed by Earth. And you can watch!
This is my first attempt at photographing the “Blue Comet”, Comet c/2022 E3 (ZTF). This was a special challenge due to the wet and cloudy conditions, but I’m so glad I was able to capture it! pic.twitter.com/t2VGEnfKX8
– Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy) January 19, 2023
What is the big problem? We know very little about C/2022 E3, but it seems that its long orbit takes it beyond the outer solar system and then toward the sun, according to The Planetary Society.
- It was discovered at the Zwicky Transient Facility on Mount Palomar in California by astronomers Bryce Bolin and Frank Masci.
- Tonight, we can see it from just 26.4 million miles away. That’s the closest it will come to Earth on its trip.
- This comet hasn’t been this close since the Paleolithic. You will see the colors in the sky like some little monsters long gone but never forgotten love this guy.
What are people saying?
“If C/2022 E3 has passed through the solar system before, it was last seen in the sky over 10,000 years ago.”
— Jon Giorgini, senior analyst at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, tell NPR
“You can find the comet by looking south of the Big Dipper, near the constellation Camelopardalis. If you can find the North Star, you can trace it directly south of that star.”
— Bryce Bolin, one of the astronomers who discovered the comet, Talk to Washington Post
So what now? Your best bet to see the comet will be Wednesday through Thursday, February 1-2. The light will be most visible in the night sky, but that can vary depending on how overcast your area is.
- Spectators in the northern hemisphere may begin to see the comet’s faint glow in the morning sky, according to NASA. In the days that follow, the Southern Hemisphere may have a better chance of getting its turn.
- The comet could collect enough energy to fly out of our solar system, or it could remain bound to its elliptical orbit for another trip around the sun, Giorgini said.
- You can bask in the hazy blue light and enjoy the comfort that even when you Failure to file tax returns on timeThe blue comet will still be soaring out there, for many more years to come.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may look pretty brilliant in NASA photos, but here’s a closer idea of what you might see in the sky tonight. #nofilter
Ethan Miller / Getty Images
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Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may look pretty brilliant in NASA photos, but here’s a closer idea of what you might see in the sky tonight. #nofilter
Ethan Miller / Getty Images
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