See the rare green comet in pictures so you know what to look for in the sky

[signalmankenneth]

I hope to get to see this comet, I have seen two in my lifetime, the Comet Hyakutake 1996 and Comet Hale Bopp 1999?!! It's a beautiful sight to see, I had field glasses then, now I have a telescope?!!

In 1986, I was in the Arizona Desert waiting to see the main comet, Halley's Comet, did see a thing it could only be seen in the southern hemisphere?!! A once in a life time thing for most people, I will be long dead when it returns 2061?!!

A rare green comet is passing Earth, and this could be humanity's last chance to see it. Stunning photos are already revealing what you might see if you look to the pre-dawn skies and spot the ball of frozen gas and dust shooting past.

Formally, the comet is called C/2022 E3 (ZTF), named for the Zwicky Transient Facility, which first discovered it in March. But skywatchers call it Comet ZTF for short.

This icy cosmic passerby is painting a green streak across the sky until the first few days of February. You probably need binoculars to spot it, or even a telescope, under dark skies far from city lights.

If you catch Comet ZTF with a telescope, you could see something like this:

Many comets glow green like this. Laboratory research has linked this aura to a reactive molecule called dicarbon, which emits green light as sunlight decays it.

Though green comets occasionally pass Earth, this one won't return for about 50,000 years, if ever. That's how long it takes Comet ZTF to orbit the sun, which means that Neanderthals still walked the Earth when it last whizzed by, during the last Ice Age.

https://www.businessinsider.com/gree...urce=yahoo.com

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[Frank Apisa]

I saw comet Comet Arend–Roland in 1957 when I was stationed in England. Most amazing sight I've ever seen. Luckily, the base I was on had minimal lighting, so the sky was always good for star gazing. The tail of the comet seemed to take up half of the sky.

I've seen others, but that was the most amazing.

I get up early every morning...and the last two days I've looked outside immediately . But we've been clouded in. I'll look again tomorrow. Gonna use binoculars. I have three telescopes, but comet looking is really done better with binoculars.

[evince]

Which area of the sky is the best to look guys?

[signalmankenneth]

Which area of the sky is the best to look guys?

Generally speaking, this one is currently visible in the northern sky in the evening, and is near the constellation Bootes. Where's that? Find the Big Dipper and follow the curve of its handle for a distance about as long as the dipper itself. That will have you looking in approximately the right portion of the sky.

One of the NASA experts said that the green comet was discovered for the first time in March of 2022 when Jupiter was still in orbit. On February 2nd, 2023, the brilliant green comet is predicted to make its closest approach to Earth, making it one of the most accessible celestial objects to identify.

[Doc Dutch]

Which area of the sky is the best to look guys?

It's a moving target.

There are several free astronomy apps. Even the most basic will show where to look for a particular constellation.
https://vitotechnology.com/news/how-...azing-app-2021

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/how-t...ew-green-comet

January 22-25
Look near the constellation Draco (The Dragon) from January 22-25.

January 26-27
Look several degrees to the east of the Little Dipper on January 26. On the following night, look three degrees to the upper right of orange Beta Ursae Minoris (formerly known as Kochab), the brightest of the two outer stars in the Little Dipper’s bowl.

January 29-30
Look towards Polaris from January 29-30.

February 1
Look near the constellation Camelopardalis on February 1. (Comet ZTF reaches its closest point to Earth on this day.)

February 2-4
Look between the constellations Camelopardalis and Auriga from February 2-4.

February 5
Look towards the brilliant yellow-white star Capella (in the constellation Auriga).

February 6
Look within the triangle known as “The Kids” star pattern in Auriga, directly overhead at around 8 pm local time on February 6.

February 7-9
Look between constellation Auriga and the planet Mars from February 7-9.

February 10
Look two degrees to the upper left of Mars on February 10.

[Doc Dutch]

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023...ee-green-comet


Pro Tip: Leave your binoculars in a dry spot outside to cold soak before using for viewing. Otherwise, they'll fog up.

[ThatOwlWoman]

I hope to get to see this comet, I have seen two in my lifetime, the Comet Hyakutake 1996 and Comet Hale Bopp 1999?!! It's a beautiful sight to see, I had field glasses then, now I have a telescope?!!

In 1986, I was in the Arizona Desert waiting to see the main comet, Halley's Comet, did see a thing it could only be seen in the southern hemisphere?!! A once in a life time thing for most people, I will be long dead when it returns 2061?!!

A rare green comet is passing Earth, and this could be humanity's last chance to see it. Stunning photos are already revealing what you might see if you look to the pre-dawn skies and spot the ball of frozen gas and dust shooting past.

Formally, the comet is called C/2022 E3 (ZTF), named for the Zwicky Transient Facility, which first discovered it in March. But skywatchers call it Comet ZTF for short.

This icy cosmic passerby is painting a green streak across the sky until the first few days of February. You probably need binoculars to spot it, or even a telescope, under dark skies far from city lights.

If you catch Comet ZTF with a telescope, you could see something like this:

Many comets glow green like this. Laboratory research has linked this aura to a reactive molecule called dicarbon, which emits green light as sunlight decays it.

Though green comets occasionally pass Earth, this one won't return for about 50,000 years, if ever. That's how long it takes Comet ZTF to orbit the sun, which means that Neanderthals still walked the Earth when it last whizzed by, during the last Ice Age.

https://www.businessinsider.com/gree...urce=yahoo.com

​

Good luck!!! Interesting recent history for this comet. A CME blew off its tail but it reformed and is now bifurcated. Brilliant green comet loses part of its tail to solar storm in this stunning astrophotographer photo

Please post any photos you get! I'm so envious and wish we would have clear skies here, but snow and clouds are our forecast. Last comet pic I was able to capture, Comet Neowise in 2020.

[serendipity]

Which area of the sky is the best to look guys?

Look to the north just after sunset, it reaches its brightest magnitude as it approaches perigee on 1st February.

[Frank Apisa]

Which area of the sky is the best to look guys?

Ya gotta look North, Evince. The comet is sorta in Draco right now. The constellation Draco runs between the Big and Little Dippers.