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50,000-year event: Green comet to light up night sky

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) could be visible to naked eye

File photo.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A comet discovered last year will appear in the night sky in the coming days for the first time in 50,000 years, CNN reported.

The comet will make its closest approach to the sun on Thursday, NASA reported.

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With a telescope or, perhaps, binoculars, skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere can look low on the northeastern horizon just before midnight Thursday to see the comet, dubbed C/2022 E3 (ZTF), according to EarthSky.

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will then make its closest pass of Earth, 26 million miles away, on Feb. 1-2. As it nears Earth, observers will be able to spot it near the North Star, and it should be visible earlier in the evening.

It’s possible the comet could become visible to the naked eye in dark skies toward the end of January.

CNN reported that the comet can be distinguished from the stars by its streaking tails of dust and energized particles, as well as the glowing green coma surrounding it.