News Desk
WASHINGTON DC: A newly discovered green comet will make its closest approach to the planet on Wednesday, swinging by earth and the sun for the first time in around 50,000 years.
The celestial object, C/2022 E3 (ZTF), that was spotted less than a year ago, last passed near the earth during Neanderthal times, according to NASA.
Photographs captured by astronomers showed a distinct green hue around the comet’s body.
Comet could be seen using binoculars
Would-be stargazers might be able to spot it using binoculars, in which the comet will appear as a faint white blur.
The space object will shoot past within a distance of 42 million kilometres (26 million miles) of our planet before speeding away again, unlikely to return for the next millions of years.
The harmless comet can be spotted in a clear northern night sky with binoculars, mini telescopes, and even the naked eye in the darkest corners of the Northern Hemisphere.
It is expected to brighten as it nears the planet and rises higher over the horizon. The comet will be near Mars by February 10.
Stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere will have to wait until next month to glimpse the cosmic visitor.
Mostly composed of ice and dust, comets lose their ice and dust as they approach the sun, creating the signature long tail.
