A Comet Is Streaking Across The Sky & It Could Be Visible With The Naked Eye In Canada
Be on the lookout for a faint, greenish smudge in the night sky!
A comet in a starry sky.
There is a recently discovered comet that's streaking across the sky and you could see it in Canada with the naked eye, no telescope required!
NASA shared that the comet, named C/2022 E3 (ZTF), is passing through the inner solar system and will be making its closest approach to the sun and Earth during January and February, appearing in the pre-dawn sky.
Discovered in March 2022 when it was inside Jupiter's orbit, it can now be viewed with a telescope and can likely be seen with binoculars too.
It will make its closest approach to the sun on January 12 and then pass closest to Earth on February 2, NASA said. So, people in the northern hemisphere will be able to see it in the morning sky as it moves toward the northwest in January.
According to The Planetary Society, headed by CEO Bill Nye, the comet will pass close to Earth for the first time in 50,000 years.
As it approaches our planet, it's expected to get brighter and easier to see, which means during the weeks it gets closer, it could be visible to the naked eye.
The comet will most likely look like a "faint, greenish smudge in the sky," The Planetary Society said.
If you're wondering when you should look for C/2022 E3 (ZTF), EarthSky shared that the best time is after midnight or right before dawn in January. Then, it will become visible earlier in the evening.
In the sky, the comet will be low on the northeastern horizon on January 12 and near Polaris on January 30.
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has some tips for viewing comets, including how a small pair of binoculars can show you faint comets under very dark skies, whereas large binoculars and small telescopes will get you even better views.
The best time to look for a comet is on dark, moonless nights, and you should expect it to appear as a faint green blob.
If a comet has a tail, it'll be much fainter and will point away from the sun, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada said.
Canada has been treated to some spectacular celestial sights in recent years, including comet NEOWISE, which might not be visible from Earth again until the year 8786!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.