Do you remember the “green comet”, nickname given to comet C/2022E3 (ZTF)? Well, he’s in the featured photo on the website Astronomy Picture of the Day this Friday (24). The comet made its closest approach to Earth in February and has since dimmed.
In the photo, the comet appears with its tail of dust in light tones and the greenish coma that earned it the nickname. The image also brings the star Rigel, the brightest in the constellation of Orion, the Hunter, and several nebulae and galaxies.
Check out:
Comet ZTF is a visitor to the Oort Cloud, and during its pass by our planet, the comet was only 2.3 light-minutes away from us; now, it is nearly 13.3 light-minutes away. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the comet’s passage through the inner Solar System may have altered its orbit so much, making it more extensive.
Prior to the visit, the comet had an orbital period of 50,000 years — so much so that, when it last approached Earth, our ancestors were beginning to organize themselves into the first settlements. However, it is possible that Jupiter’s gravitational influence caused the comet to leave our system for good, never to return.
the green comet
Comet ZTF was discovered in March 2022, and astronomers initially thought it was a new asteroid candidate. However, one night after detection, new images revealed that he had a small coma, which allowed him to change his classification.
When it was detected, the comet was about 640 million kilometers from the Sun, which placed it within the orbit of Jupiter. As early as January 2023, it was 42 million kilometers from Earth, its closest approach in 50,000 years.
It was on February 1 that the comet reached perigee, the point in its orbit where it was closest to Earth, but unfortunately it was not visible from Brazil on that date. The good news is that the comet could be observed in our country during the 3rd and 4th of February.
Source: ETC
