Một sao chổi xanh đang bay qua Trái đất lần đầu tiên sau 50.000 năm, mang đến cho những người quan sát bầu trời cơ hội một lần để chứng kiến cảnh tượng thiên thể trước khi nó biến mất khỏi Hệ Mặt trời của chúng ta mãi mãi
Sao chổi C/2022 E3 [ZTF] tiến gần Trái đất nhất vào ngày 1 tháng 2 năm 2023, nhưng sẽ tiếp tục được nhìn thấy trong suốt cả tuần từ bất kỳ nơi nào ở bán cầu bắc – thời tiết cho phép
Ở khoảng cách tương đối gần 42 triệu km [26 triệu dặm] từ hành tinh của chúng ta và với giá trị độ sáng của cường độ khoảng +6, có thể nhìn thấy nó bằng mắt thường
Sao chổi này hiếm đến nỗi những con voi ma mút và mèo răng kiếm vẫn đang lang thang trên Trái đất khi nó quét qua hành tinh của chúng ta lần cuối
Để biết vị trí cần quan sát trên bầu trời và tìm hiểu thời điểm có điều kiện tốt nhất để quan sát sao chổi vào tối nay và trong vài ngày tới, bạn có thể theo dõi tường thuật trực tiếp của chúng tôi trong blog bên dưới
Những điểm chính
Nasa 'kỳ vọng khám phá mới' từ sao chổi xanh
Nơi có điều kiện quan sát tốt nhất cho sao chổi xanh ngay bây giờ
Cách nhìn thấy sao chổi xanh
Làm thế nào để phát hiện sao chổi xanh nếu bạn bỏ lỡ nó ngày hôm nay
Thứ Năm 2 Tháng Hai 2023 04. 08 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Sao chổi xanh dự kiến sẽ dần biến mất khỏi bầu trời trong tuần này, nhưng vẫn có cơ hội nhìn thoáng qua thực thể vũ trụ trong những ngày tiếp theo
Quỹ đạo của sao chổi sẽ đi qua ngôi sao sáng Capella vào ngày 5 tháng 2, trước khi bay ngang qua sao Hỏa vào ngày 10 tháng 2
Đồ họa này, được tạo bằng dữ liệu của Nasa và JPL-Caltech, cho thấy đường đi của sao chổi xanh khi nó đi qua hệ mặt trời. [Bạn có thể tìm thấy một trình giải thích trực quan chuyên sâu tuyệt vời về sao chổi ngay tại đây. ]
Hành tinh Đỏ và vị trí của các ngôi sao và chòm sao gần đó có thể giúp phát hiện dễ dàng hơn
Nhìn về phía bắc [CC]
Với trăng tròn vào ngày 5 tháng 2, các chuyên gia cho biết thời điểm buổi tối tối hơn trước khi mặt trăng mọc trong những ngày tới sẽ là cơ hội tốt nhất để phát hiện ra nó trên bầu trời
Sao chổi xanh 'kỳ lạ' trông như thế nào trên bầu trời đêm?
05. 00 , Josh Marcus
Thế giới đang được viếng thăm bởi một vị khách đã không đến trong 50.000 năm
Sao chổi màu xanh lục đã lao về phía Trái đất trong nhiều tháng, nhưng tuần này sẽ là tuần dễ thấy nhất đối với bất kỳ ai muốn nhìn thấy nó khi nó đi qua Trái đất gần nhất
Ở tuổi 26. 4 triệu dặm, nó phải đủ gần để nhìn thấy. Hơn nữa, nó sẽ tồn tại xung quanh, cho phép mọi người xem nó trong tuần này và hơn thế nữa
Andrew Grffin có thông tin chi tiết
Điều gì sẽ xảy ra khi 'sao chổi xanh' lao vào cuộc chạm trán gần với Trái đất
ICYMI. Green comet to leave solar system, may never fly past Earth again
04. 32 , Vishwam Sankaran
Các nhà khoa học theo dõi quỹ đạo của sao chổi xanh cho biết nó có thể không quay trở lại Hệ mặt trời bên trong nữa
Họ nói hình dạng quỹ đạo của sao chổi trông giống như một đường cong mở
Theo Franck Marchis từ Viện SETI, sao chổi có thể “sớm thoát khỏi Hệ Mặt trời hoàn toàn” do quỹ đạo của nó.
“Đây có lẽ là lần cuối cùng sao chổi này được chúng ta hoặc bất kỳ ai sống trên Trái đất nhìn thấy. Nhưng có thể trong một tương lai xa, một loài thông minh khác sẽ thấy nó đến gần mặt trời và hành tinh quê hương của chúng,” Tiến sĩ Marchis viết trên Twitter.
Green comet photographed above Stonehenge
04. 06 , Vishwam Sankaran
The comet ZTF that previously passed by Earth during the Stone Age was photographed for the first time over Stonehenge
ZTF lần cuối cùng vượt qua hành tinh này cách đây khoảng 50.000 năm trước khi những người đầu tiên xây dựng vòng tròn đá
Một sao chổi có thể nhìn thấy lần cuối trong thời kỳ đồ đá đã xuất hiện lần đầu tiên trên Stonehenge
Lần cuối cùng sao chổi xanh có tên C/2022 E3 [ZTF] được nhìn thấy từ Trái đất là khoảng 50.000 năm trước, rất lâu trước khi vòng tròn đá được hình thành
📷. @Josh_Dury ảnh. twitter. com/EifKIOLThZ— Stonehenge [@EH_Stonehenge] February 2, 2023
It is currently at it closest position relative to the Earth, zooming past the Earth at about 57km/s at a distance of just 26 million miles
Astronomers say the object would look like a “fuzzy green ball” or a “smudge” in the night sky
Andrew Griffin reports
Sao chổi xanh 'kỳ lạ' trông như thế nào trên bầu trời đêm?
ICYMI. How green comet's brightness compares to others in history
03. 46 , Vishwam Sankaran
The comet ZTF’s brightness is estimated to be about a magnitude of about +6 which could make it almost visible to the naked eye
Astronomers measure the brightness of objects in the sky using a scale of apparent magnitude in which brighter objects have greater negative number and dimmer ones have greater positive values
The latest reported observed magnitude for Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] is 5. 9. Naked eye visibility from a dark site
— David Blanchflower BSc [@DavidBflower] January 20, 2023
The brightest planet Venus, for instance, has a magnitude of around -3 to -4, and the Sun has a magnitude of –26
The famous Halley’s comet had a magnitude of about +2 during its 1986 passby, and the comet Bennett, discovered in 1969 had a +8. 5 magnitude
ICYMI. What does the ‘exotic’ green comet look like in the night sky?
01. 30 , Josh Marcus
For the first time in 50,000 years, a stunning green comet has skipped past Earth, making a remarkably close approach
The flyby was close enough to be visible to the naked eye, and bright enough to be captured in stunning images taken from the Earth
For those who saw it, the green comet looked like a flaming verdant star, hovering in the sky. But for many others, the comet might not have been visible at all. without the right conditions and work, it might not be visible at all
Don Pollacco, a professor from the department of physics at the University of Warwick, said that anyone looking to see it would need “a clear sky, binoculars and a bit of luck”. The waxing Moon means that the comet could be hard to spot
Andrew Griffin reports
Green comet glows in London sky
Thursday 2 February 2023 23. 34 , Graeme Massie
Footage captured on Monday night from west London shows the green comet is visible from the UK capital despite the light pollution
Twitter user @spacestationguy said he used a 10-inch dobsonian scope and Sony A7S camera to get the shot of Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF]. Weather over the UK means no spottings were possible last night, and may also be hampered by cloud cover tonight too
You can see the video from Monday here
Watch a live stream of the green comet from last night
Thursday 2 February 2023 22. 58 , Graeme Massie
The Virtual Telescope Project and Telescope Live used their telescopes in Italy and Spain to capture Comet C/2022 E3 in real-time last night
They shared a stream of it on their YouTube channel, allowing anyone in the world to watch it for free
You can watch the live stream here
Nasa shares December image of green comet
Thursday 2 February 2023 22. 25 , Graeme Massie
Nasa’s Goddard flight centre has shared an image of the green comet, taken all the way back in December
The US space agency tweeted the image to mark the day that Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] is at its closest point to Earth, known as its perigee
“This comet was discovered in March 2022 by Bryce Bolin, a NASA postdoctoral fellow at Goddard and Frank Masci, a senior scientist at Caltech,” Nasa notes. “They used the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility. ”
A green comet will be closer to our planet today, Feb 2, than it's been in over 50,000 years. The brightness of comets is unpredictable, but with clear skies, you could see Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF]. https. //t. co/Isqg1V1LZG pic. twitter. com/bwdFZXpTK8
— NASA Goddard [@NASAGoddard] February 2, 2023
Although the comet is now heading away from us, it is still visible to anyone in the northern hemisphere, so long as the weather conditions are favourable
Where you can see the green comet in UK and US
Thursday 2 February 2023 19. 38 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Weather forecasts for central and southern United States suggest ideal viewing conditions for the green comet, with clear skies stretching all the way from Chicago to El Paso
Weather forecast for the night of 2 February, 2023 [The Weather Channel]
Weather in the rest of the country is not great for seeing the comet, although it’s nowhere near as bad as the UK
Unfortunately for people in the UK and Ireland, there is near-total cloud cover tonight, according to the Met Office. Anyone hoping to see Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] will have to wait until Saturday night to catch a glimpse of it
UK and Ireland weather forecast for midnight, 2 February, 2023 [Met Office]
Green comet images show progress across sky over a fortnight
Thursday 2 February 2023 15. 45 , Anthony Cuthbertson
We have more photos of the green comet, this time from Imran Sultan, an astrophysics student at the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics at Northwestern University
The images were taken between 19 January and 1 February, 2023
[Imran Sultan/Northwestern University]
[Imran Sultan/Northwestern University]
[Imran Sultan/Northwestern University]
[Imran Sultan/Northwestern University]
Digital telescopes capture stunning images of green comet
Thursday 2 February 2023 14. 49 , Anthony Cuthbertson
We’ve received some great photos of the green comet taken by amateur astronomers
The four below were taken by Nelson Decker, Scott Kardel, Jeffrey D’Elia and Didier Cowen, who were all using Unistellar telescopes
The digital telescopes are described by Unistellar as “nearly foolproof” for even novice skywatchers, allowing them to track and capture objects in the sky through a companion app
[Nelson Decker]
[Scott Kardel]
[Jeffrey D’Elia]
[Didier Cowen]
Green comet that will be visible from Earth for first time since ice age is undergoing unusual changes
01. 33 , Josh Marcus
A green comet that will be visible from Earth for the first time since the Ice Age appears to be undergoing unusual changes
Comet ZTF has created excitement in recent weeks as it has hurtled towards Earth, coming close enough to the planet that it should be visible to the naked eye. It will be the first close approach for 50,000 years, and reached its closest point on 1 February
New pictures of the object appear to show that its tail has become detached. Images taken by comet hunter Michael Jäger, for instance, make it look as if the tail is breaking off
Andrew Griffin reports
‘Something unusual’ is happening to a rare green comet that is coming towards Earth
Best night for viewing green comet in the UK
Thursday 2 February 2023 11. 07 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Unfortunately for UK sky gazers, the cloud cover that blocked the green comet last night is set to continue this evening
The latest forecasts from the Met Office show the whole of the UK and Ireland covered in cloud on Thursday and Friday evening
The good news is the cloud will almost comletely clear on Saturday night, offering great views of Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] in the early hours of Sunday morning
Here is the current forecast for midnight tonight
UK and Ireland weather forecast for midnight, 2 February, 2023 [Met Office]
And this is the forecast for 4am on Sunday morning
UK and Ireland weather forecast for 4am, 5 February, 2023 [Met Office]
Space photographer captures stunning images of green comet
Thursday 2 February 2023 09. 51 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Space photographer Miguel Claro has captured several stunning images of the green comet from the Dark Sky Alqueva Observatory in Portugal
The astrophotographer has even made a video of Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF]’s progress across the night’s sky
The SETI Institute notes that “something unusual” is happening with the comet’s green and blue tail, as the long ion trail experiences something known as a disconnection event
The images and footage has been shared on social media, which you can see below
#PPOD. A close-up view of #CometZTF during 19th January 2023. Besides featuring a wonderful greenish coma and rare anti-tail, something unusual was happening with the long ion tail, what is called a disconnection event. Credit. © Miguel Claro . https. //t. co/92arqPX425 pic. twitter. com/03k5po4r21
— The SETI Institute [@SETIInstitute] January 24, 2023
Last week, a CME hit #CometZTF [C/2022 E3] and broke the comet's tail
Astrophotographer Miguel Claro made a video of the event from the Dark Sky® Alqueva Observatory in Portugal
Comet ZTF is approaching Earth for a close encounter [0. 28 AU] on Feb. 1st. pic. twitter. com/67ycrJawFv— Girl In Space [@ExploreCosmos_] January 27, 2023
Green comet spotted over Greece
Thursday 2 February 2023 07. 54 , Graeme Massie
A view of a green comet named Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF], over Kryoneri, Greece, February 1, 2023. [REUTERS]
The moon is seen through the open canopy of the Kryoneri Observatory, before the telescope tracks a green comet named Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF], in Kryoneri, Greece, February 1, 2023. [REUTERS]
Post doctoral researcher Alexios Liakos talks to senior researcher Manolis Xylouris, as they track a green comet named Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] from the telescope of the Kryoneri observatory, in Kryoneri, Greece, February 1, 2023. [REUTERS]
How bright was green comet compared to others in history
Thursday 2 February 2023 07. 25 , Vishwam Sankaran
The green comet ZTF is currently at its closest position relative to the Earth, zooming past the planet at about 57km/s at a distance of merely 26 million miles
Its brightness has been estimated to be at a magnitude of about +6 – almost the threshold of what can be visible to the naked eye – and is also expected to be the brightest such space rock to zoom past Earth this year
The brightness of objects in the sky is measured on a scale of apparent magnitude by astronomers
The brighter an object, the greater its negative number and the dimmer it is, the greater will be the positive number
For instance, the sun has –26 magnitude compared with the full moon whose magnitude is around –13 magnitude to the naked eye
The brightest planet in the sky – Venus – is estimated to have a magnitude of about -3 to -4, and large comets that achieve a similar brightness are unofficially called great comets
The comet Bennett, discovered by amateur astronomer John Caister Bennett in 1969, was a magnitude 8. 5 object
The 1986 visit by the famous Halley’s comet had a magnitude of about +2 while its next pass expected in July 2061 is estimated to likely have a fairly spectacular brightness of about –0. 3
The comet Bennett, discovered in 1969 by South African amateur astronomer John Caister Bennett, was a magnitude 8. 5 object when it was first identified
Some of the faintest stars visible to the unaided eye have magnitudes of about 6. 5
Spectacular images shared of the ‘exotic’ green comet
Thursday 2 February 2023 07. 01 , Graeme Massie
If you’re yet to catch a glimpse of the green comet, we’ve got a round-up of images captured by professional and amateur astronomers in recent days
One picture, from the New Scientist’s Abby Beall, was notable not for its spectacular nature but for its help in seeing the comet. As she noted, the comet might not actually be easily visible – but spotting it might be possible using a phone, as well as the helpful map that she assembled
[via Reuters]
[Christopher Becke/SCI + TECH/TMX]
You can see all of the pictures here
Sao chổi xanh 'kỳ lạ' trông như thế nào trên bầu trời đêm?
ICYMI. How green comet was first discovered
Thursday 2 February 2023 06. 40 , Vishwam Sankaran
The green comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] was found in March 2022 by astronomers from the Zwicky Transient Facility
Researchers used ZTF’s robotic camera and software developed by staff scientist Frank Masci to detect a moving object
It was initially thought to be an asteroid, but the space rock’s condensed coma and its trajectory indicated it was a comet
“This particular object was spotted because of its motion in a sequence of images taken by ZTF,” said Tom Prince, professor of physics from the Keck Institute for Space Studies
“At the time it was discovered, it was not known to be a comet. That came later after follow-up observations by many telescopes worldwide,” Dr Prince said
The comet has come closest to Earth today at about 41 million km [26 million miles] away, and after that, it is expected to disappear into the darkness of space, likely never to be seen by humans again
ICYMI. Green comet may never fly past Earth again
Thursday 2 February 2023 06. 18 , Vishwam Sankaran
Scientists studying the green comet’s orbit trajectory say it is in an open “hyperbolic orbit,” meaning it may not return to the inner Solar System again
Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the UK Royal Astronomical Society, told Newsweek that the comet’s orbit shape looks like a “very open curve. ”
Astronomers, including Franck Marchis from the SETI Institute, also say the comet may “soon escape the Solar System entirely” due to its orbit
Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF observed by @palomarskies and a SETI perspective. #cometE3 #SETI @setiinstitute pic. twitter. com/TKuMlrVrRW
— Franck Marchis [@AllPlanets] January 28, 2023
“Đây có lẽ là lần cuối cùng sao chổi này được chúng ta hoặc bất kỳ ai sống trên Trái đất nhìn thấy. Nhưng có thể trong một tương lai xa, một loài thông minh khác sẽ thấy nó đến gần mặt trời và hành tinh quê hương của chúng,” Tiến sĩ Marchis viết trên Twitter.
“In that sense, this comet is carrying a piece of us – of all humanity – into the cosmos,” he said
Watch the green comet’s orbital path
Thursday 2 February 2023 06. 05 , Graeme Massie
The green comet is currently making its closest path of Earth in 50,000 years. This graphic, made using Nasa and JPL-Caltech data, shows the path of the green comet as it passes through the solar system
You can find an excellent indepth visual explainer on the comet right here
ICYMI. What comet's green colour reveals about its chemical composition
Thursday 2 February 2023 05. 52 , Vishwam Sankaran
Based on the green colour of the comet ZTF, astronomers say it contains molecules like diatomic carbon and cyanogen
Diatomic carbon [C2] is a green, gaseous chemical with the formula C=C and is known to occur in the carbon vapour in comets
While many comets glow green as they zoom past the Earth’s sky, it had for long remained a mystery why this hue never reached their tails
Scientists as early as the 1930s had theorised that diatomic carbon that was created by the interaction of sunlight’s UV radiation and organic matter on the comet’s head was being further destroyed leading to the colour
But the theory hadn’t been tested until late 2021 as diatomic carbon is not stable
To be clear @abcnews, the green colour comes from C2, which is itself a breakdown product of larger molecules in the snowball. The C2 breaks down into C atoms in a few days. The green is due to C2 absorbing and emitting light in a process known as fluorescence
— Prof. Timothy Schmidt [@schmidtim] January 29, 2023
Timothy Schmidt, a chemistry professor at the University of New South Wales, demonstrated in 2021 the mechanism by which the dicarbon molecule is broken up by sunlight
“The green colour comes from C2, which is itself a breakdown product of larger molecules in the snowball. The C2 breaks down into C atoms in a few days. The green is due to C2 absorbing and emitting light in a process known as fluorescence,” Dr Schmidt explained in a tweet on Tuesday
What comet studies have revealed about early Solar System
Thursday 2 February 2023 05. 16 , Vishwam Sankaran
Studying the chemical composition of comets like ZTF have unravelled several secrets about the formation of the Solar System
ZTF belongs to a category called long-period comets that are known to emerge from a shell of space debris in the outermost stretches of the Solar System called the Oort cloud
The Oort cloud hasn’t actually been viewed by astronomers, but is theorised to be a vast, spherical shell made of icy debris, some of which may be as old as the Solar System itself
A recent study, surveying gases like carbon monoxide and water vapour in 25 comets, suggested that analysis of these molecules from comets could trace the chemical composition of the early Solar System
#GreenComet ☄️
Tomorrow it will be at its closest to Earth. Let us know if you see it. 🔭
📌A new study of comets provides insight into chemical composition of early solar system. https. //t. co/wgPp0HhRku https. //t. co/eym6O0sM3A— National Science Foundation [@NSF] February 1, 2023
Scientists could unravel insights about early solar systems based on the ratio of certain molecules present after outgassing from comets
The research found, for instance, that comets very far from the sun that have never, or only rarely, orbited near the sun, produced more CO2 than CO, whereas those that have made many several trips close to the sun do the opposite
Timelapse shows green comet pass over night sky
Thursday 2 February 2023 05. 03 , Graeme Massie
Seeing the green comet can be tricky, even when you know where to look and the weather is good
Capturing it for a timelapse video, however, is almost impossible. It requires no light pollution, clear skies and a specialist setup like this one. But the results are spectacular
If you haven’t or can’t see the Green Comet, this guys got it for you pic. twitter. com/b6ECDoBZoq
— Slater Jonathan [@SlaterJonathan4] January 24, 2023
Next best viewing date for green comet
Thursday 2 February 2023 04. 49 , Vishwam Sankaran
Although the green comet is making its closest approach to the Earth today, it may not be easy to view for many due to a bright moon and cloudy skies
However, on 10 February, the comet would sweep next to Mars and this will also be after February’s full moon
Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] aka "The Green Comet" is making its closest approach to the Earth today
The moon is bright tonight, making it difficult to find the comet with the naked eye. On Feb 10th, the comet will be slightly above Mars, as seen in this star chart from EarthSky. pic. twitter. com/Ae73UgzlNe— CFHT [@CFHTelescope] February 1, 2023
“The moon is bright tonight, making it difficult to find the comet with the naked eye. On Feb 10th, the comet will be slightly above Mars, as seen in this star chart from EarthSky,” The Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope [CFHT] joint facility tweeted
Strange phenomenon on green comet's tail explained
Thursday 2 February 2023 04. 02 , Vishwam Sankaran
Usually, comets have two tails – one that is made of ionised gas and another of dust
The ion tail can be spotted as the small molecules on its side glow via fluorescence
In the dust tail, large grains scatter the Sun’s UV light in all directions
These two tails point in slightly different directions as the forces act on dust and ions in different ways
“Recently, a strange phenomenon has occurred with #CometZTF as it appears to have a third tail. This is, in fact, an optical illusion, due to our point of view of the dust trail” explains Jorge Amaya from ESA’s #SpaceWeather Office
— ESA Operations [@esaoperations] February 1, 2023
But astronomers across the world reported a “third tail” on the green comet ZTF, which has been found to be just an “optical illusion. ”
“Recently, a strange phenomenon has occurred with comet ZTF as it appears to have a third tail. This is, in fact, an optical illusion, due to our point of view of the dust trail,” European Space Agency’s Jorge Amaya explained
Meteorologist on how best to view green comet
Thursday 2 February 2023 03. 50 , Vishwam Sankaran
There are few more days left when one can view the green comet zoom past Earth, says Milwaukee meteorologist Mark Baden
The comet ZTF will still be visible in the days leading to 10 February, appearing in the night sky as a faint green smudge
Do you want to try to see the "Green Comet"? You have a few more days. Look for the North Star. It will be to the right of it. You will need binoculars to see it. pic. twitter. com/QmhVk4bgDT
— Mark Baden [@Mark_Baden] February 1, 2023
If the weather is favourable and clear with fewer clouds, one may see the comet in the night sky right of the north star
People may still need binoculars or a telescope to view the comet
Palaeontologist on what humans were like last time ZTF zoomed past Earth
Thursday 2 February 2023 03. 38 , Vishwam Sankaran
The last time the green comet ZTF hurtled past Earth, Neanderthals may have seen its green tail “if they looked up from their cookfires,” says paleoecologist Jacquelyn Gill from the University of Maine in the US
Dr Gill, who specialises in research on how the planet has changed since the last ice age, says modern humans – Homo sapiens – were just entering Europe when ZTF zoomed past Earth previously about 50,000 years ago
Neanderthals would have seen its green tail overhead if they looked up from their cookfires. Modern humans, who were just entering Europe, were poised to flourish in an explosion of advanced culture—leaving traces of complex art, tools, music, body decoration, and ritual
— Dr. Jacquelyn Gill [@JacquelynGill] February 2, 2023
“Some of the oldest cave paintings in the world, in Spain and Indonesia, date to this time,” she tweeted
The human family tree during this time still had several more branches
In addition to Homo sapiens, Dr Gill says, we had “Neanderthals, Denisovans, Floresians, maybe even others” when ZTF last flew past Earth
ESA attempts to study green comet using X-ray satellite
Thursday 2 February 2023 03. 16 , Vishwam Sankaran
The European Space Agency tweeted that it has been studying the green comet ZTF using its X-ray satellite XMM Newton in orbit since 1999
Researchers had expected ZTF to be one of the brightest comets observed because of its bright green hue
ESA missions inc. @ESA_XMM have been observing #CometZTF, and it was expected to be one of the brightest comets observed due to its bright green hue
Disappointingly, then intriguingly, the comet barely showed up in the X-rays
The results are scientifically very valuable. pic. twitter. com/44vwSrgYpp— ESA Operations [@esaoperations] February 1, 2023
However, “disappointingly” the comet “barely showed up in the X-ray,” ESA said
But the space agency noted that the observations and results are still “scientifically very valuable. ”
Where best to see the green comet in the US
Thursday 2 February 2023 03. 02 , Graeme Massie
With the UK and Ireland completely covered in cloud tonight, at least people in the US will have a better chance of seeing the green comet
Severe winter storms will make it impossible for people in the South to see for the next few days, but a bit further west will see ideal conditions. Forecasts from The Weather Channel show that the best views will be from the South West and Pacific Coast regions of the United States
Tonight will see clear skies all the way from Los Angeles in California to Denver in Colorado
Here’s the full forecast for tonight
[The Weather Channel]
Tips for seeing green comet
Thursday 2 February 2023 02. 01 , Graeme Massie
Mike Narlock, the head astronomer at Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, told The Dearborn Press & Guide about the best way to spot the green comet
– Go outside after dark
– Look for the Little Dipper constellation. This will help you locate the North Star, also known as Polaris, at the end of the handle
– Above the North Star, you will find the constellation Camelopardalis, commonly called the giraffe. The green comet is visible inside that constellation
– If you must look for the comet without any devices, try using peripheral vision
Live stream of green comet to be hosted by The Virtual Telescope Project
Thursday 2 February 2023 01. 01 , Graeme Massie
The UK and Ireland are almost completely covered by cloud this evening, while large parts of the US will also find it difficult to see the green comet as winter storms sweep across the southeast
Fortunately for those unable to witness Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF in the night sky, the Virtual Telescope Project will be hosting a live stream as it passes overhead. The project, setup by the Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Italy, consists of several robotic telescopes around the world that offer free views of the universe that are available for all to watch
You’ll be able to find the live stream here when the broadcast begins in a few hours
What impacts how bright a comet is?
Thursday 2 February 2023 00. 01 , Graeme Massie
According to Nasa, “how bright a comet appears depends both on what we can predict, how close it is to the Earth and how close it is to the Sun, and on what we cannot predict, how much gas and dust it is giving off. ”
[Óscar Martín Mesonero [Organización Salmantina de la Astronáutica y el Espacio]]
How green comet appeared over California
Wednesday 1 February 2023 23. 32 , Graeme Massie
Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] is visible in the sky above the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernadino County as it approaches Earth for the first time in about 50,000 years on January 31, 2023 near Baker, California. The comet was discovered on March 2, 2022, and will be at its closest point to Earth on February 1, 2023. Its orbit extends far out into our solar system and has a green aura because it is passing close enough to the sun for the outgassing of its diatomic carbon molecules to react with the solar wind. [Getty Images]
Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] is visible in the sky above the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernadino County as it approaches Earth for the first time in about 50,000 years on January 31, 2023 near Baker, California. The comet was discovered on March 2, 2022, and will be at its closest point to Earth on February 1, 2023. Its orbit extends far out into our solar system and has a green aura because it is passing close enough to the sun for the outgassing of its diatomic carbon molecules to react with the solar wind. [Getty Images]
Where to look to see the green comet this week
Wednesday 1 February 2023 23. 04 , Graeme Massie
Wednesday night will be the worst night all week for people in the UK and Ireland to see the green comet, with the British Isles completely covered in clouds. However, the coming days will see the skies clear a bit, with forecasts from the Met Office suggesting that Friday will perhaps offer the best chance for many
Here’s where to look in the night’s sky over the coming days
Wednesday, 1 February. Look towards the constellation Camelopardalis
Thursday, 2 February - Saturday, 4 February. Between the constellations Camelopardalis and Auriga
Sunday, 5 February. The green comet will be near the star Capella in the constellation Auriga, however the full Moon may obstruct the view
Details on the green comet
Wednesday 1 February 2023 22. 27 , Graeme Massie
Green comet seen from the island of Gran Canaria,
Wednesday 1 February 2023 21. 31 , Graeme Massie
A green comet named Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF], which last passed by our planet about 50,000 years ago, is seen from the Pico de las Nieves, in the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, February 1, 2023. [REUTERS]
Timelapse shows green comet moving across the sky
Wednesday 1 February 2023 15. 09 , Anthony Cuthbertson
This is one of the best timelapses of the green comet I’ve seen so far. It perfectly illustrates how it moves across the night’s sky
Captured by astrophotographe Matt Graves, you can see just how far it travels in less than an hour. Hopefully we’ll be getting more like this from some of the big observatories in the coming hours and days
You can watch it here
The green comet I captured last night. This is about 45 min pic. twitter. com/jzAqHucB7W
— Matt Graves [@GravesSpectrum] January 29, 2023
Share your photos of the green comet
Wednesday 1 February 2023 13. 47 , Anthony Cuthbertson
If you have any photos of the green comet, you can email me [anthony. cuthbertson@independent. co. uk] or share them with me at @ADCuthbertson on Twitter [my DMs are open] and I’ll post them here
Green comet sightings hampered by cloud on Wednesday night
Wednesday 1 February 2023 11. 39 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Weather forecasts from the Met Office suggest that viewing conditions for the green comet tonight in the UK and Ireland will be terrible
Shortly after sunset, clouds rolling in from the Atlantic will nearly completely cover the British Isles, leaving only a sliver of clear skies in eastern Scotland. Even that won’t last for long, with the early morning of hours on Thursday seeing rain and cloud over all of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland
Here’s how the sky will look at 4am on the morning of Thursday, 2 February, according to the latest weather forecasts
[Met Office]
Watch the green comet drift across US sky
Wednesday 1 February 2023 10. 10 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Footage posted to Twitter by Christopher Becke in Williamsburg shows the green comet in the sky above Virginia
The amateur astronomer said the comet’s movement was captured by taking a series of 60 second exposures and stitching them together to create the video
“10 minutes of comet E3 drifting among the stars [brightness due to some passing clouds],” he wrote
Timelapses are a great way to get a sense of the green comet’s movement in relation to the stars and constellations in the background
What green comet looks like through telescope
Wednesday 1 February 2023 07. 01 , Graeme Massie
[via REUTERS]
[via REUTERS]
Astronomers, amateurs share photos of green comet as it makes closest approach to Earth
Wednesday 1 February 2023 06. 45 , Vishwam Sankaran
Amateur space photographers and astronomers share photos of the green comet on Twitter as it makes close approach to Earth
Fresh #CometZTF pictures hot off the @yorkobservatory 1m telescope Malincam ccd, even without processing it’s looking great. So glad the clouds parted tonight in #Toronto #C2022E3 #Comet pic. twitter. com/9Ycdaa48BT
— Dr. Hyde [@AstroHyde] February 1, 2023
Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] from Central Florida
This image represents ~25min worth of data. Clouds and the Moon made this a difficult target to acquire
Stacking & processing took many hours to get right. #Comet #CometE3 #CometZTF #C2022E3 #Astrophotography #Astronomy #Space pic. twitter. com/pBAJSRtZ4A— Ethan Walsh 🍥 [@EthanWalshPhoto] January 31, 2023
Comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] imaged over 42 minutes this evening using the snazzy #Skywatcher 72ED and my Astro modified #EOS600d , 1 minute exposures, stacked in DSS and tweaked in photoshop #comet #astrophotograohy #sky #stars #C2022E3 #comet #startrails #astro #lookup pic. twitter. com/MeAjunFeX8
— Tim Burgess 🔭🚀 [@TimBurgess] January 30, 2023
How green comet ZTF was discovered
Wednesday 1 February 2023 06. 13 , Vishwam Sankaran
The green comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] was found in March 2022, the discovery largely attributed to astronomers Bryce Bolin and Frank Masci
While it was initially thought to be an asteroid, the space rock’s condensed coma – its nebulous envelope – indicated it was a comet
The comet was spotted in a twilight survey by the Caltech-led project the Zwicky Transient Facility
Comet ZTF over Mount Etna
Image Credit & Copyright. Dario Giannobile pic. twitter. com/2BqXH3DJ4d— Willie Aaron Lewis [@Parsec44] January 28, 2023
For the survey, ZTF uses a special camera to take images nearly every 30 seconds through the Palomar Observatory’s forty-eight-inch telescope
Researchers have taught machine-learning algorithms to detect moving objects in the sky by analysing these images
“On March 2nd, all we knew was that we had found a moving object. We reported it to the Minor Planet Center – they are the clearing house for these things,” Tom Prince, one of the lead scientists on the project, told The New Yorker
Pictures of green comet posted to social media
Wednesday 1 February 2023 06. 09 , Graeme Massie
Nasa decodes distinctive shape of green comet
Wednesday 1 February 2023 05. 44 , Vishwam Sankaran
The green comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] hurtling past Earth over the last month has been spotted to have not just one or two tails, but three
Nasa notes in a blog post that the comet not only has a common dust tail, an ion tail, as well as a green gas coma, but also a rare distinctive anti-tail
While the dust and ion tails are seen trialing comets, the ZTF’s anti-tail was seen seemingly leading the comet
This anti-tail, seen in some photographs, is an illusion caused by the Earth moving through the comet’s orbital plane
“The anti-tail does not actually lead the comet, it is just that the head of the comet is seen superposed on part of the fanned-out and trailing dust tail,” Nasa noted
Triple view of comet ZTF [Javier Caldera & Miguel Gracia/Nasa]
ZTF is currently visible all night long from northern latitudes, but is expected to fade from observation during the next few weeks and might never return to pass by Earth
Some estimates suggest green comet may never again pass by Earth
Wednesday 1 February 2023 05. 19 , Vishwam Sankaran
Researchers say the green comet’s current orbit trajectory may see the space rock booted out of the inner Solar System to never return
“Some predictions suggest that the orbit of this comet is so eccentric it’s no longer in an orbit—so it’s not going to return at all and will just keep going,” astronomer Jessica Lee from the Royal Observatory Greenwich told Newsweek
While scientists do not yet have an accurate estimate of how far the comet could get from the Earth, they say if it does return, it may not for at least another 50,000 years
Whether it returns or not may depend on the perturbations the comet may encounter from losing its mass or from any disturbances it might face while in the Oort cloud
The green comet’s path through the sky
Wednesday 1 February 2023 05. 03 , Graeme Massie
Tonight is not the only chance to see the green comet, so don’t lose hope if the weather near you is bad
This handy map, courtesy of the MISAO Project, shows the path the comet will be taking across the sky over the coming days and weeks
[MISAO Project]
The early hours of 1 February will see Comet ZTF reach its perigee, meaning it is at its closest point to Earth, but it will still be visible with the naked eye for the next few days in case you don’t get a chance to see it tonight. For a few weeks it will also be possible to see it using binoculars or a telescope
What we know about Oort cosmic cloud from where green comet originated
Wednesday 1 February 2023 04. 53 , Vishwam Sankaran
The green comet C/2022 E3 [ZTF] making its closest pass by Earth today originated from the Oort Cloud, a cosmic shell of debris encircling the farthest reaches of the Solar System
Scientists have long known that this region, containing billions or trillions of space debris, is the origin site of long-period comets like ZTF
This region is thought to be a giant spherical shell encircling the Solar System like a thick-walled bubble made of icy rocks
It is likely at a massive distance of about one-quarter to halfway from the Sun to the next star, according to Nasa
Scientists have theorised that this region likely formed as gravity from the Solar System’s planets shoved a vast number of icy rocks away from the Sun, and gravity from the galaxy may have caused debris to settle into a border shell
The comets from this shell can shed light on the history of the Solar System and have been seen only once in recorded history since their orbital periods are very long
Nasa to study green comet using Webb telescope
Wednesday 1 February 2023 04. 30 , Vishwam Sankaran
Nasa is planning to observe the comet with its James Webb Space Telescope to unravel clues about the Solar System
The comet may shed light on the formation of the Solar System as it likely formed during its early stages, scientists say
It was first identified by the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility inside the orbit of Jupiter in March 2022 but was initially suspected to be an asteroid
“We’re going to be looking for the fingerprints of given molecules that we can’t access from the ground,” planetary scientist Stefanie Milam of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland said
“Because JWST’s so sensitive, we’re expecting new discoveries. ”
Wednesday 1 February 2023 04. 04 , Graeme Massie
What we know about green comet's chemical composition
Wednesday 1 February 2023 03. 53 , Vishwam Sankaran
The comet’s green colour is due to the effect of sunlight on its molecules cyanogen and diatomic carbon
The latter is a green, gaseous chemical with the chemical formula C=C that occurs in the carbon vapour in comets
These molecules are broken down by sunlight into single carbon atoms before they move into the comet’s tail
Thus the green colour is limited to the space rock’s icy nucleus while the tail may still appear white in contrast