Find Out How You Can Catch A Glimpse Of Centuries-Old Green Comet?

The green comet has been heading for the headlines for quite some time now. The anticipation of catching a glimpse of the comet that apparently last got noticed by the Neanderthals centuries ago has been boiling up online. From the looks of it, the clearest view of the comet is not too far from humans once again.

The Green Comet Is Going To Be Visible To Humans After 50,000 Years

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The comet was last seen 50,000 years ago. The official name for the comet has been C/2022 E3, which was last caught by the human eye as well as the Neanderthals during the Stone Age. After 50 millennia, the green comet is ready to be seen by the naked eye once again, and humans can¡¯t wait.

Although many skywatchers have already spotted the floating rock, these glimpses have been best captured by a telescope or a high-definition camera. If you have neither at your disposal, your best chance to see the comet is estimated to start on February 1.

According to Space.com, the comet will be closest to Earth on February 2 and will be nearly 42 million km away from our blue planet. The comet is referred to as the ¡°green¡± one because of the colour of its tail, which lights up in that colour due to a chemical reaction between diatomic carbon molecules and the ultraviolet rays of our sun.

The space rock was first noticed not long ago, in March of last year, in California at the National Science Foundation¡¯s Zwicky Transient Facility.

Best Time To Catch The Comet From India

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The astronomy blog In The Sky has been on the tail of the green comet and has been helping people from all around the world to locate the once-in-a-lifetime view in the night sky. According to the blog, the comet will be closest to Earth at the beginning of February.

On the day of the perigee, as per the blog, the comet will be visible all night as it is circumpolar. According to Google, "a circumpolar star is a star that, as viewed from a given latitude on Earth, never sets below the horizon due to its apparent proximity to one of the celestial poles."

The green comet will be highest in the night sky at 22:12. To locate the comet, look 45 degrees above your northern horizon. If you want to catch a glimpse of the rock at dusk, note that it will be visible around 18:57 (IST), just 38 degrees above your northern horizon. If you want a view of the comet at dawn, then look at the sky around 06:09, just 19 degrees above your northern horizon.

The astronomical blog mentioned above can also provide personalised timings for viewing the comet from your location.

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