How many comets are there in the solar system? Based on the few comets that have been reported in the media, the number may seem small. However, the actual number is much higher. The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates that there could be a trillion comets out there!
And a very special comet is approaching. So close that it can be seen with the naked eye. The green comet makes a rare heavenly sight. Its name reveals nothing of its beauty: C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is the name of its tailed star. And it’s currently shooting across our solar system for the first time in 50,000 years! This means that the last time it stopped, it was still the Ice Age. It is a historical event.
The green comet stops again after 50,000 years
Just about a year ago, in early March 2022, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered. The green comet can be distinguished from other stars by its dusty tail and bright green envelope as it passes close to the Sun. The green color is caused by the ice on the celestial body, which turns into a gaseous state near the sun. Dust particles shoot off and form a hazy mass around the comet’s nucleus. It looks green to our eyes.
According to the “Earth Sky” website, it will approach the sun on January 12 and pass Earth between February 1 and February 2, at a distance of about 44 million kilometers. As the comet approaches Earth, observers can spot it near the North Star with binoculars shortly before midnight.
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