Al-Ujairi Scientific Center revealed that the green comet known as “C/2022 E3 ZTF” approached Earth and was seen through small telescopes in the sky after midnight, Sunday, and is considered a strange space object but will be again visible to the naked eye between February 1 and 2 during its closest approach to Earth.
The sources pointed out that seeing it in the sky during the night began days ago, and it will continue to be seen with the naked eye and without a telescope, reports Al-Rai daily.
The center added, in a statement, that the anticipation of seeing the comet by astronomers and specialists will be wide, especially since it will appear for the first time in many years, and people were able to see it during the night, whether using a telescope or small binoculars, and it will be possible to see it with the naked eye next February approaches.
The sources indicated that the comet started a long journey from the outer regions of the solar system from within the Oort cloud, and that the increase in brightness and size of vision will increase as it approaches Earth, as it is expected to approach Earth at a distance of 41.9 million km.
The center stated that astronomers are hoping to spot the comet and that it will reach the limits of vision with the naked eye, especially when it apparently passes near the northern part of the globe, which makes it possible for some to take wonderful pictures and write down the scientific vision and benefit from it in research.
The center pointed out that this comet is a small space body orbiting in the solar system, consisting of ice and dust, its diameter may range between hundreds of meters and tens of kilometers, and the farther it is from the sun, the more it freezes, and as it approaches it, its frozen matter heats up, and the gases trapped in it are released.