A green comet not seen near Earth for thousands of years is now visible in our night skies as it is about to make its closest pass to the planet. Comet C/2023 E3 (ZTF) was first spotted in March last year by the Palmora Observatory in California as it began its approach from the outer reaches of the solar system.
The comet was spotted in the Oort Cloud, a collection of icy objects, and is now visible with the naked eye for the first time since the age of the Neanderthals 50,000 years ago. Scientists say at the minute the comet will appear as a dim, fuzzy smear of light - but you can clear it up with a telescope or binoculars.
On February 1, it will skim through a region of the sky around the North Pole, near the bright star Polaris, where it will pass over nearly 26 million miles away. The best time to view the comet – also known as the ‘green comet’ – is just before daybreak.
To help you find C/2023 E3 (ZTF) in the sky, the Brightest Comets app is recommended as it will help you track where the comet is in there night sky. The Virtual Telescope Project is also running a live stream of the comet’s progress, too.
The site StarWalk has a complete list of where to spot the comet over the coming days.
They say:
- Try finding the darkest skies and bring a telescope or a pair of binoculars to get a better picture
- Take your time to adjust to the darkness (you’ll need at least 15 minutes). It will boost vision sensitivity and make it easier to see the faint comet
- It is easier to notice dim objects when we look not directly but slightly away from them
- A camera lens can pick up more than the human eye. Point your camera in the right direction and try taking a long exposure photo
