Astronomers have predicted that Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), discovered last year, will be visible to the naked eye as it passes the Earth and Sun in the next few weeks. This was reported in a press release on Phys.org.

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is a long-period comet discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility astronomical survey while passing Jupiter in March 2022. Its orbital period is 50,000 years and its farthest point (aphelion) is 2,800 astronomical units from the Sun. It is expected to approach the Sun on January 12 and pass by the Earth on February 1.

The comet is one kilometer across and C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is from Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE), seen in March 2020 and the brightest in the Northern Hemisphere since Comet Hale-Ball. It is estimated to be significantly smaller. In 1997, the NEOWISE core was five kilometers in diameter, and the Comet Hale-Ball was about 60 kilometers in diameter. However, the small size is compensated by the fact that C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will pass very close to Earth. In addition, there is a possibility that the object will be twice as bright as expected.

The comet is visible to the naked eye with good binoculars and away from city lights. At the beginning of February, it will reach its greatest brightness at its closest point to Earth, but at the same time the full moon will come. According to astronomers, the best conditions in the Northern Hemisphere will come in late January, when C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will pass between the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. On January 21-22, there will be a new moon that will give amateur astronomers a chance to see the comet. Another auspicious time is February 10, when the comet will approach Mars.