When can I see the green comet in the UK tonight? When will C/2022 E3 be available and how to watch the livestream

The rare green comet will be visible in the night sky in the coming weeks as it passes Earth for the first time in about 50,000 years.

First discovered less than a year ago, comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is expected to become bright enough as it approaches our planet to be visible to the naked eye.

It’s believed to have been last seen over Earth during the Ice Age, so this really is a once in a lifetime chance to see the comet – here’s all you need to know.

When can I see the Green Comet in the UK?

The comet will make its closest approach to the Sun on Thursday, January 12, and will make its closest approach to Earth on Wednesday, February 1, when it will be 16.4 million miles away, according to NASA.

In late January and early February, the comet should be almost visible in the night sky even without equipment on a dark and clear night. However, you can get a better view with binoculars or a telescope.

Best time to see it indoors early morning hoursa few hours before sunrise.

How can I see Comet C/2022 E3?

In the UK, people have to look closer to the northeast horizon to catch a glimpse of the comet.

You’ll be able to tell it apart from the stars by the glowing green of its “coma,” the faint shell around the comet that gives it a fuzzy appearance.

The distinctive coloration is thought to be due to the presence of diatomic carbon around the comet’s head.

However, if overhead conditions are not correct, you may still be able to see the comet live.

Virtual Telescope will host a free screencast on its website and YouTube channel on January 12 at 11 pm EST (4 pm on Friday, January 13 in the UK).

Preston Dyches of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in the video, “This comet is not expected to be as much of a spectacle as comet Neowise in 2020.

“But it’s still a great opportunity to make a personal connection with an icy visitor from a solar system far, far away.”

What is a green comet?

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered orbiting Jupiter in March 2022 by the Zwicky Transient Facility, a public-private partnership that studies the night sky (which is why “ZTF” is added to the end of its name).

At first, scientists thought it was an asteroid, but it has since gotten significantly brighter as it passed the northern constellation Northern Corona.

The comet has a green coma — a cloud of gas surrounding an icy rock core — and a yellowish tail. B was first photographed in December.

This was stated by Bryce Bolin, one of the scientists who discovered the comet. boston sphere The team “secretly hopes it falls apart” because “that’s where the most interesting science is.”

“Comets are the cats of the solar system; They do what they want,” he said.

“Like cats, they are fluffy. Comets have been observed to exhibit peculiar behavior such as fragmentation or disintegration.

“But there is no really strong correlation between the distance from the Sun and the type of decay events that occur. It can decompose on its way to the sun even before it approaches it, or even after.