It is one of the most anticipated sightings of the year.
The green comet, the celestial body that was first discovered almost a year ago, is close to Earth for the first time in
50,000 years
.
The
green comet
could be seen in
both hemispheres
thanks to its intense green glow, which is produced by the
melting of the ice in its nucleus
as it approaches the Sun.
This was what caused it to release a
tail of gases and dust
, which is visible to the naked eye due to its intense color.
Named by scientists as C/2022 E3 (ZTF), the
green comet
was
transiting in Jupiter's orbit
when it was discovered in March 2022 with a telescope from the
Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF)
astronomical project in California, United States.
What will the passage of the green comet be like?
According to NASA, the
green comet
last visited us in Neanderthal times.
This 2023 will come within
42 million kilometers
(26 million miles) on Wednesday, February 1 before receding again, probably not to return for
millions of years
.
The green comet was discovered just under a year ago.
Photo: Shutterstock
Discovered less than a year ago, the harmless
green comet
is visible in the night sky only with binoculars or small telescopes, and possibly with the naked eye in the darkest corners of
the Northern Hemisphere
.
On its way,
it will grow brighter
as it approaches our planet and rises higher above the horizon until the end of January.
The best hours to see it will be shortly before
dawn
.
While many comets have graced the sky in the past year, "this one appears to be a bit
larger
and therefore a bit
brighter
and comes a bit closer to Earth's orbit," the comet and asteroid guru said. from NASA,
Paul Chodas
.
The
green comet
will pass between the orbits of
Earth and Mars
on February 1 at a relative speed of 207,000 km/h (128,500 mph).
Its
core
is estimated to be 1,600 meters (one mile) in diameter and its
tails
extend millions of kilometers (miles).
Green kite: when and at what time will it be seen in Argentina
As we said, the green comet began to be visible
from the end of January
and will remain so until
mid-February
.
There will be two different viewing periods.
From January 20 to 31, those who live in the northern hemisphere and different tropical latitudes had the opportunity to enjoy it.
And
from February 1 to 10
, it will be best seen in the
southern hemisphere
, including Argentina.
Although it has been around us for several weeks, it is only after the night of this
February 5
that it will be seen clearly and clearly in the Argentine sky and other countries in the southern hemisphere.
“February 2 is going to be the day that passes closest to earth.
Between February 5 and 7
are good days to be able to observe it from the southern hemisphere.
Around the end of January, it was better seen in the northern hemisphere,” explained Diego Bagú, an astronomer at the National University of La Plata, in dialogue with sitioandino.com.ar.
From
10 p.m.
, you have to look north, at the constellation Auriga.
As
NASA
indicates , it can be observed with the help of binoculars in cities and
with the naked eye
in skies with no light pollution.
What gives the comet its green color?
Comets
are
cold
bodies
formed by dust, stones and frozen gases, which circulate at the limits of
the solar system
.
However, sometimes they feel attracted to the Sun King.
When this happens, the heat from the star slowly begins to evaporate, so
a cloud called a coma and tail forms around it
.
In this case, the
green color
is due to the gases it contains, it is caused by the presence of
diatomic carbon
that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays.
It's not projected to look as bright as the
Neowise of 2020 or the Hale Bopp
and Hyakutake of the mid to late 1990s.
But "it will be bright by virtue of its close pass to Earth ... Which will allow scientists to do more experiments and people to see a beautiful comet," said Karen Meech, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii.
In Argentina, during the night of February 5, it will be seen more clearly.
Photo: Dan Bartlett/AP
So much so, that since it was discovered
the brightness of this green comet has increased
drastically, which is why astronomers estimate that it may
be visible without the aid of instruments.
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