Look up! Rare comet could be visible with naked eye soon

Comet with glowing green features hasn’t been in the night sky in 50,000 years

Stock image. Vittorio Staffolani (Pexels)

Have you ever wanted to see a comet with the naked eye? The opportunity to view one with a glowing green coma surrounding it could be here soon.

By the end of January or early February, a comet that hasn’t been in the night sky in 50,000 years will make its closest path to Earth, according to an article on CNN.

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On March 2, 2022, astronomers discovered a comet that made its closest approach to the sun this past Thursday (Jan. 12), according to NASA.

The comet is the expected to make its closest pass of Earth sometime between Feb. 1 and 2, possibly even sooner sometime at the end of January.

Observers should be able to spot the comet with an unaided eye near the North Star, or what’s also referred to as the bright star Polaris, in the evening hours when it passes.

For those sky watchers who use binoculars,, the comet should be visible in the morning sky in the Northern Hemisphere for most of January and in February for those in the Southern Hemisphere, according to NASA.

The comet is distinguished from stars by streaking tails of dust and energized particles, and a glowing green coma around it.


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Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.