A bright green comet will be visible in the Earth's sky later this month — possibly for the first time in history. If it ever has passed by us before, it was more than 10,000 years ago.
A comet known as C/2022 E3, marked by its bright green nucleus and long faint ion tail, will be on display in the Earth sky later this month — possibly for the first time ever or at least for thousands of years.
"If C/2022 E3 has ever passed through the solar system before, it would have last been seen in the sky more than 10,000 years ago," says Jon Giorgini, a senior analyst at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Comets are essentially clumps of frozen gases, rock and dust. But when they approach the sun and heat up, they become powerful cosmic objects, spewing gases and dust in a way that forms their iconic shape: a glowing core and flame-like tail that can stretch on for millions of miles.
Astronomers first spotted the brightening outburst back in March 2022 at the Zwicky Transient Facility on Palomar Mountain in California. At the time, the comet was inside the orbit of Jupiter.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Amazing photos of gorgeously green Comet C/2022 E3 (ZFT) in the night sky (gallery)Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF is already putting on a show as it makes its way through our solar system.
Read more »
2022 Audi Q4 E-Tron Quattro First Test Review: Just a Luxurious VW?This new Audi electric SUV faces an ever-expanding field of zero-emissions crossovers and comes up short in performance, range, and features.
Read more »
Was 2022 the Death Knell for Kids TV?New VIP+ Analysis: Primetime audiences for children’s channels have plummeted since 2014, yet the channels remain lucrative for their owners.
Read more »
EUR/USD uptrend in late 2022 to be replaced by pullbacks and choppy trading conditions – RabobankAlthough analysts at Rabobank are forecasting that the DXY index could end the year a little lower, they expect that 2023 will provide plenty of oppor
Read more »
Southwest's strong 2022 rebound soured by holiday debacleSouthwest Airlines anticipates a money-losing quarter after a holiday debacle led to nearly 17,000 canceled flights and thousands of people being stranded.
Read more »