A comet will cross the Earth’s sky for the first time in 50,000 years

The comet “C/2022 E3 (ZTF)”, an icy and rocky body approximately 1 km in diameter, was discovered in March 2022 when it passed through the orbit of Jupiter thanks to the “Zwicky Transient Facility” program, operated by the Samuel-Oschin telescope of the Palomar Observatory, in the city of California, United States.Astronomers who have been following its path for months reported that on January 12 it will reach its closest point to the Sun. That’s when the ice that contains its core passes into the gaseous state and releases a long tail that reflects the light of the sun. This bright trail is what can be observed from Earth, initially in the northern hemisphere, as “C/2022 E3 (ZTF)” approaches. Thomas Prince, a professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology, warned that given its small size, it will be less spectacular than Hale-Bopp (1997) or Neowise (2020). In addition, he indicated that this astronomical phenomenon can be seen better at night, if the sky is clear, the light of the Moon does not disturb, and in a place where light pollution can be reduced to the maximum. “Maybe we’re lucky and it will be twice as bright as expected,” added astrophysicist Nicolas Biver of the Observatory of París-PSL.La best observation window will be the weekend of Jan. 21 and 22, and the following week. During that time it will move between the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major. Then, you can see it in the southern hemisphere.” Let’s look at it everywhere. It’s not the comet of the century, but we’re happy to be able to observe comets like this every year or two, because we think of them as vestiges of the formation of the solar system,” Biver explained.

Original source in Spanish