This week, South Africa will likely see the once-in-a-lifetime green comet, known for its greenish hue and named C/2022 E3 (ZTF).
By: Michelle Swart
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When to see the green comet in South Africa
The South African Astronomical Observatory reports that Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) ‘s closest approach to Earth was 1 February.
It, however, remained too far north to be visible in South Africa.
Starting on 4 February after 20:30, it became visible through binoculars.
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The best time to see the comet will be between 7 and 8 February.
On 11 February, Comet C/2022 E3 will approach Mars and can be seen in the evening sky near the constellation Taurus.
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Here is an image of the comet’s location for Cape Town on 7 February at 20:40:
If you want to see this rare green comet, you can check visibility from your location by clicking here.
What is a comet?
Astronomers at the Zwicky Transient Facility in California discovered C/2022 E3 (ZTF), nicknamed the “green comet”, last March and initially misidentified it as an asteroid, The Guardian reports.
Orbiting the sun, comets are cosmic snowballs made of frozen gases, rock, and dust.
While frozen, they resemble a small town in size, but as they approach the sun due to their orbit, they heat up and produce a giant glowing head larger than most planets by spewing dust and gases.
