Coming from the far reaches of the solar system, comet “C/2022 E3 (ZTF)will visit Earth again.The last time it did so was 50 thousand years ago and according to astronomers it could be seen with the naked eye at the end of January.It is a small rocky and icy body, with a diameter of just 1 km, discovered in March 2022.
When a comet approaches the Sun, the ice that contains its nucleus turns into a gaseous state and releases a long tail that reflects the light of the Sun.The comet will shine in all its splendor “when it is closest to Earth,” explained Thomas Prince, a professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology.
For the end of January
With a good pair of glasses, or even with the naked eye, it can be seen at night, provided the sky is clear, there is no light pollution, and the moonlight is not disturbing.The best observation window will be the weekend of January 21 and 22, and the following week.
