The sky will host a big surprise in the first days of 2023. The comet, designated C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and just discovered on March 2, 2022, will reach its closest approach to Earth and be visible to the naked eye.
Moreover, the opportunity to see this comet will not come again for generations. Because the star completes the journey in its orbit in exactly 50 thousand years. In other words, we will have to wait another 50,000 years before we can see the star once again with the naked eye.
When and how is C/2022 E3 (ZTF) observed?
The comet’s closest approach to Earth is estimated to be February 1. The star will be only 42 million kilometers from Earth at this location. So our star will be 3 times closer than the Sun.
Observing C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is actually possible right now with the necessary equipment (telescope or advanced binoculars) and weather conditions. But on February 1, the star will reach its highest luminosity as it will be even closer to the Sun.
In this way, the star can be seen relatively easily when looking at its position. You can reach The Sky Live by clicking this link to learn the position of the star on February 2 and follow its journey until that day.
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