Green comet to appear in India! Know when, where and how to watch

The rare Green Comet will be at its closest point to Earth soon. Check when and how to watch it.

Comet C/2022 E3 is set to make its first appearance after 50000 years. (NASA)

In the upcoming days, sky gazers will get to witness a rare celestial event, which is said to be a once-in-a-50000-year experience! It is all about the arrival of a celestial guest named Comet C/2022 E3. In the past few days, the comet has shown several developments while on its journey. The best part is that you can catch this unusual comet with the naked eye and it will soon be visible in several parts of India. If you are waiting to catch a glimpse, then know everything here, from the expected date, time, place and everything else. 

When and how to catch Green Comet in India 

The Comet C/2022 E3 will be available in the last week of January or early February 2023. Pathani Samanta Planetarium Shubhendu Pattnaik's Deputy director told the New Indian Express that the rare green comet will fly by at around 7.30 pm on January 30 and the best view will be available then.

You can locate the comet at around 20 degrees altitude in the north-east direction, right between Saptarshi Mandal (great bear) and Pole star.

However, to get a better view, you can visit the Indira Gandhi Planetarium Lucknow, where you can see the comet with the help of binoculars and a telescope. As the comet moves away from Earth, its brightness will decrease with time. 

About Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) 

Astronomers discovered Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF on March 2, 2022 with the help of the 48-inch (1.2-meter) Samuel Oschin robotic telescope . The telescope is part of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), located at Mt. Palomar in southern California. Also, it was the 3rd celestial object found in the fifth month (A, B, C, D, E) of the year. And that's how it got its name comet 2022 E3 (ZTF). If you are wondering if this comet has green colour pigment, then know that the green glow is due to the presence of carbon gas.