Approaching bright green comet: This is how it can be observed
Created: 01/10/2023 16:46
By: Maximilian Meyer
It should be in mid-January.
Comet C/2022 E3 is approaching Earth and can be observed with binoculars.
Possibly even with the naked eye.
Washington, DC (USA) – Comet C/2022 E3 was discovered in March 2022 by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California.
At that time, the comet was almost 150 million kilometers from Earth and in orbit around the planet Jupiter.
But it is slowly approaching and getting brighter and brighter.
According to NASA, "C/2022 E3" will make its closest approach to the Sun on Thursday, January 12, 2023.
On February 1st the comet reaches its closest distance to Earth.
At this point, there are only 42 million kilometers between the comet and Earth.
Comet C/2022 E3 may be visible to the naked eye
Experts estimate that the comet will be easy to see with binoculars or telescopes from mid-January to mid-February.
It is characterized by its bright, green core and a long, faint ion tail.
From very dark locations, it is not impossible to be able to observe it with the naked eye.
The comet "C/2022 E3" is not the only natural spectacle this year.
Read here which astronomical highlights will still take place in 2023.
Orbit of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from early January to early March 2023. The map shows the sky sight on February 1 at midnight.
The comet is an object for the morning sky until the end of January, after which it will remain high in the sky all night and then move towards the northwestern evening sky.
© sternfreunde.de
In the summer of 2022, comet C/2020 F3 (Neowise) could be admired in the sky.
"However, this was a fairly bright comet and cannot be compared with the current one," said comet photographer and expert Michael Jäger to
fr.de
from
IPPEN MEDI
A.
Brightness of comet C/2022 E3 difficult to estimate
How bright the comet will actually be in the end is difficult to estimate.
Predicting the brightness of comets is difficult.
It is difficult to predict in advance how comets will behave as they approach the Sun.
Some break up before they can be observed well from Earth.
After its brief appearance in Earth's skies, it's still unclear where "C/2022 E3" might be headed.
One possibility is that it will gain enough energy to leave our solar system.
Another would be that it remains trapped in its orbit for one more trip around the sun.
A special and rare moment that you can not admire as often as the classic celestial phenomenon shooting star.
