A newly discovered green comet whose last trip past Earth was tens of thousands of years ago will make its next trip past our blue planet in the coming weeks.
York University researchers say C/2022 E3, discovered last year by astronomers in Southern California, will reach its closest point to Earth on February 1 at 1:11 PM EST.
The rare comet, notable for its greenish hue, will still be about 42 million kilometers from Earth and stargazers will likely need binoculars or a small telescope to see it, say researchers at the University of York.
They say the last time this comet flew past Earth was about 50,000 years ago – and it may never return.
“It will pass by the constellation Corona Borealis just before sunrise here in Toronto, with February 1 being the best day to see it,” said Elaina Hyde, assistant professor at York University and director of the Alan I. Carswell Observatory in the Faculty of Science. in a news release.
Hyde said the observatory plans to view the comet using its one-metre telescope, described as the largest telescope on a university campus in Canada.
York University assistant professor Sarah Rugheimer, who also serves as the Alan I. Carswell Chair in Public Understanding of Astronomy, said the comet’s visibility will also depend on light pollution in certain areas, as well as whether the sky is clear or cloudy.
“Right now you definitely need good binoculars or a small telescope to see this comet, but toward the end of the month it may be possible to see it with the naked eye,” Rugheimer said.
The observatory hosts a Monday night radio show and online public viewing, as well as a Wednesday night live online broadcast or “teletube.”
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