Keep An Eye On The Sky: Rare Green Comet To Pass Near Earth This Week

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), known as the "green comet," was discovered by astronomers in early March of 2022 inside the orbit of Jupiter.

"Since then the new long-period comet has brightened substantially and is now sweeping across the northern constellation Corona Borealis in predawn skies," according to NASA.

It will pass closest to Earth on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and Thursday, Feb. 2, says EarthSky.org.

"Comets are notoriously unpredictable, but if this one continues its current trend in brightness, it'll be easy to spot with binoculars, and it's just possible it could become visible to the unaided eye under dark skies," NASA said.

A cloud-free view of the northern sky will be needed for a chance to see the comet, according to AccuWeather.com.

"To the common observer, the comet will look like a fuzzy green star rather than a prominent feature with a massive tail stretching across the sky," AccuWeather said. "Although the comet is bright enough to see with the naked eye, stargazers who live near bigger metro areas with lots of bright lights may need to head to a location where there is minimal light pollution in order to spot the celestial vagabond."

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