{"id":27293,"date":"2023-01-03T16:43:24","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T16:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/03\/youll-soon-be-able-to-view-a-comet-last-seen-by-neanderthals\/"},"modified":"2023-01-03T16:43:24","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T16:43:24","slug":"youll-soon-be-able-to-view-a-comet-last-seen-by-neanderthals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/03\/youll-soon-be-able-to-view-a-comet-last-seen-by-neanderthals\/","title":{"rendered":"You\u2019ll Soon Be Able to View a Comet Last Seen By Neanderthals"},"content":{"rendered":"

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(Image: Dan Bartlett\/NASA)<\/small><\/center>Many known celestial events are periodic, meaning they\u2019re enjoyed from Earth on a regular basis thanks to their individual orbits around the Sun. The average person might be familiar with Halley\u2019s comet or the far more common total solar eclipse, both of which can be enjoyed within the average lifetime. But some celestial events are far more rare\u2014so rare, in fact, that their Earthly sightings are tens of thousands of years apart.<\/p>\n

According to astronomers, a rare comet<\/a> called C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be visible from Earth during this month and next. C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) was originally identified by researchers at the Zwicky Transient Facility in California just last year using a wide-field survey camera. Astronomers believe the comet only completes its orbit around the Sun every 50,000 years, meaning this year\u2019s relative visibility doesn\u2019t just present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity\u2014it\u2019s also a once-in-a-geologic-period event.<\/p>\n

C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) is believed to have last been seen with the naked eye when the Neanderthals existed. Now experts say we\u2019ll be able to spot the comet for ourselves. Northern Hemisphere dwellers might be able to view C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the coming weeks, so long as they\u2019re skywatching before dawn. Those in the Southern Hemisphere are expected to spot the comet around Feb. 2 when C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) achieves perigee, or the portion of its orbit closest to Earth. Astronomers say optimal viewing conditions\u2014AKA clear skies and little to no light pollution\u2014will allow C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) to be viewable with the naked eye. That said, there\u2019s a chance we might need a basic pair of binoculars; after all, C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) will still be about 26.4 million miles away when it swings by.<\/p>\n

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C\/2020 F3 (NEOWISE). (Image: SimgDe\/Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Astronomers warn that the big ball of ice, rock, and dust will look more like a chalkboard smudge<\/a> than the brilliant display put on by C\/2020 F3 (NEOWISE). C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) lacks the showy, vibrant tail NEOWISE possesses; in fact, when C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) was first spotted, astronomers thought it was a meteor before they noticed its dim coma, or fuzzy nebulous envelope. But C\/2022 E3 (ZTF) has apparently brightened since last year\u2019s discovery, leaving experts optimistic that it\u2019ll be more visible\u2014and more impressive\u2014from Earth than originally thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cComets are notoriously unpredictable,\u201d notes<\/a> NASA\u2019s Preston Dyches in the agency\u2019s monthly What\u2019s Up skywatching video. \u201cBut if this one continues its current trend in brightness, it\u2019ll be easy to spot with binoculars. And it\u2019s just possible it could become visible to the naked eye under dark skies.\u201d<\/p>\n

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