Today’s image for NASA Astronomy is a stunning image of a comet expected to pass by Earth next month.
Comets are cosmic snowballs of frozen gas, rock, and dust about the size of a small city. A comet also orbits the Sun, but unlike an asteroid, it is composed mostly of ice and dust. As a comet approaches the sun, its ice and dust content begins to evaporate. Therefore, when viewed through a telescope, a comet appears blurry and has a tail. So, if you’re an avid comet watcher, there’s exciting news for you. A comet last seen by Neanderthals is scheduled to pass Earth this year.
Today’s image for NASA Astronomy is a stunning image of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), a long comet originating from Oort, taken by astrophotographer Jose Francisco Hernandez. The comet’s period is approximately 50,000 years, meaning that the last time it flew close to Earth, it was seen by Neanderthals during the Upper Paleolithic on Earth. According to NASA, it’s currently about 100 million miles from Earth, but it’s hurtling towards our planet at speed.
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NASA explained
Comet ZTF could become visible to the naked eye. Discovered early last year, this huge snow globe has come close to Earth and the Earth. C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be closest to the Sun later this week, at which time it could become visible even without binoculars to northern observers in clear, dark skies. As they get closer to the Sun, it is difficult to predict the brightness of comets.
In the featured image taken last week in front of a picturesque star field, three blue ion tails extend to the upper right, possibly the result of a shift in the solar wind on ions emitted by the comet’s icy nucleus. The comet’s white dust tail is visible in the upper left and is much shorter. The green glow is the comet’s coma caused by glowing carbon gas. Comet ZTF is expected to pass in early February, after which it should dim significantly.
About Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered by astronomers using the Wide Field Survey Camera at the Zwicky Transit Facility in 2022 in early March. Astronomers say it will arrive within about 26 million miles of Earth on February 1.
Although comets are usually unlikely to be visible to the naked eye, comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) can be visible to people around the world observing it with the naked eye for a few days during its closest approach.
