Rare Green Comet To Make Closest Approach To Earth This Week.

January 30, 2023

Green comet is approaching close to Earth after 50,000 years.
- Comets are frozen remnants of solar system’s origin made of ice, rock, and dust.
Termed as C/2022 E3 (ZTF), Green Comet could be visible with telescopes and binoculars.
The comet was first spotted in March last year by astronomers through the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility. It was in Jupiter’s orbit at the time and has grown brighter since then.
The green colour of the comet is thought to arise from presence of diatomic carbon – pairs of carbon atoms that are bound together – in head of comet.
- Molecule emits green light when excited by ultraviolet rays in solar radiation.
It could be at a distance of 2.5 light minutes from Earth, meaning a “mere” 27 million miles.
Comet’s orbit indicates that it comes from edge of Oort cloud- theoretical spherical cloud of predominantly icy planetesimals.