Green Comet

Skylar Stine, Reporter

 

A green light waves a hello to us in the darkness of the sky. The neon colored comet was last viewed by our ancient ancestors during the Paleolithic period, also known as the neanderthal time period. 

The Paleolithic period was about 50,000 years ago, so our snowball friend is checking in to see how much

Photo taken by Dan Bartlett shows comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) on Dec. 19, 2022

we’ve evolved.

On Wednesday, February 1st, the comet will be visible to the naked eye from the Northern Hemisphere, and the brightest viewing time. It is expected to come within 26 million miles of Earth. Due to the distance, between February 1st and February 10th the time capsule will be slowly streaking across our sky. On February 10th, it’ll be next to mars. Unfortunately, due to light pollution and distance the only way to view it from Fort Worth would be through binoculars or a small telescope. It will be cold, and most likely raining Wednesday night, however that does not mean you cannot view it from the comfort of your own home.

So get in front of a window, look between the small dipper and big dipper for a green dot zooming by. Our friend will not be returning for another 50,000 years, so do not miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.​​