You’ll Soon Be Able to View a Comet Last Seen By Neanderthals

(Image: Dan Bartlett/NASA) Many known celestial events are periodic, meaning they’re enjoyed from Earth on a regular basis thanks to their individual orbits around the Sun. The average person might be familiar with Halley’s 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—so rare, in fact, that their Earthly sightings are tens of thousands of years apart.

According to astronomers, a rare comet 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’s relative visibility doesn’t just present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—it’s also a once-in-a-geologic-period event.

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is believed to have last been seen with the naked eye when the Neanderthals existed. Now experts say we’ll 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’re 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—AKA clear skies and little to no light pollution—will allow C/2022 E3 (ZTF) to be viewable with the naked eye. That said, there’s 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.

C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE). (Image: SimgDe/Wikimedia Commons)

Astronomers warn that the big ball of ice, rock, and dust will look more like a chalkboard smudge 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’s discovery, leaving experts optimistic that it’ll be more visible—and more impressive—from Earth than originally thought.

“Comets are notoriously unpredictable,” notes NASA’s Preston Dyches in the agency’s monthly What’s Up skywatching video. “But if this one continues its current trend in brightness, it’ll be easy to spot with binoculars. And it’s just possible it could become visible to the naked eye under dark skies.”

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