(HorizonPost.com) – According to a recent report from Newsweek, the C/2022 E3 (ZTF) comet will soon pass by Earth. On February 1 (today!), it will come as close as 26 million miles away. At that time, it might just be possible for the naked eye to see.
C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will exit the inner solar system after speeding past the Earth. It may never return.
Comets are celestial bodies that orbit the sun and are composed of frozen gases, dust, and rock. These objects, sometimes called “cosmic snowballs,” release debris and gases as they draw closer to the sun and are bombarded with increasing doses of radiation.
When it comes to C/2022 E3 (ZTF), the comet’s coma appears green, and two enormous tails of gas and dust are created due to this process.
To follow the comet’s movements in real time, TheSkyLive offers a 3D representation of the solar system. The time and date can be adjusted to display the comet’s position at a specific time in the past or future.
The visual depicts C/2022 E3’s (ZTF) orbit in relation to the sun and planets. The comet is scheduled to pass between the orbits of Mars and Earth.
The website displays the comet’s visibility in the sky and how its position will change over the next few days. The object is currently visible in the constellation Boötes.
Before Boötes, the comet was visible in the constellation Corona Borealis. By January 22, it will move into the constellation Draco.
According to TheSkyLive, the comet can be seen due to its magnitude with the aid of small binoculars or telescopes. Under ideal circumstances, the object might be faintly visible to the naked eye because astronomers anticipate it becoming brighter over the next few days. However, comet brightness prediction is challenging, so the object might not be visible.
The website also provides information regarding the comet’s distance from Earth. It is currently 55 million miles away.
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