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You may not need binoculars or a telescope to see C/2022 E3 (ZTF), the green comet discovered this past March, when it makes its closest approach to Earth in 50,000 years Wednesday and Thursday.
“Comets are notoriously unpredictable, but if this one continues its current trend in brightness, it’ll be easy to spot with binoculars, and it’s just possible it could become visible to the unaided eye under dark skies,” said Preston Dyches, a public engagement specialist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
“This comet isn’t expected to be quite the spectacle that Comet NEOWISE was back in 2020. But it’s still an awesome opportunity to make a personal connection with an icy visitor from the distant outer solar system.”
The celestial streaker will be a cool 26 million miles away from Earth at its perigee and may be easiest to observe just before sunrise on Feb. 2. However, the moon’s expected brightness that morning could reduce its visibility, CalTech Magazine reported.
C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was first sighted in March 2022 by Caltech staff scientist Frank Masci and former postdoctoral scholar Bryce Bolin at the Zwicky Transient Facility of Caltech’s Palomar Observatory, which is focused on studying the optical night sky. At the time, the comet was already inside Jupiter’s orbit. It made its closest approach to the sun on Jan. 12 and is expected to near Mars by Feb. 10.
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