The most beautiful scenes of the green comet, which visited Earth for the first time in 50,000 years...and the reason for its appearance with three tails

Weather of Arabia - Since the discovery of the green comet in March 2022, scientists and astronomy lovers began to track it, waiting for the date of its visit to Earth and its passage near our planet for the first time in 50 thousand years, after which it departs on its long journey to return outside the solar system. In the following lines, we will talk about the details of seeing the comet, and the reason for its appearance with 3 tails? Then we show pictures and scenes of the comet from around the world.

Details of seeing the comet in the sky

The "green comet" named ZTF (C/2022 E3) reached its closest approach to Earth at about 43 million kilometers on Wednesday (February 1), when the comet's brightness peaked.

But it can still be seen for several more days if the sky conditions are favorable, but it is less bright and cannot be seen easily with the naked eye, and whoever tries to see it will need to search in the sky around “Kapella” (the sixth brightest star in the night sky), where “Kapella” appears ( Capella) two hours after sunset, to the east, high in the sky. Binoculars or a small telescope can be used to see the comet more clearly.

(A celestial map of the comet's location among the stars, heading south - from January 30 to February 20 - Source: skyandtelescope)

For more: Historic event: The green comet will be visible in Earth's sky this week for the first time in 50,000 years

The reason for the appearance of a comet with three tails

In one of the amazing snapshots of the comet ZTF (C/2022 E3), the green comet appeared with three tails in the period that the Earth passed from the plane of the comet's orbit, so what is the reason for these multiple tails?

When the comet approaches the sun, solar heating begins to evaporate the dust-rich surface ice, forcing gas and dust into space around the comet's nucleus to form a temporary gaseous envelope. Solar radiation pressure pushes this dust behind the head of the comet to form a dust tail. When the gases ionize In the tail (such as carbon monoxide) by solar ultraviolet radiation (UV), it glows and forms an ion tail, and this comet appears in the green spectrum, because it is rich in diatomic carbon, and this gas glows in blue and green.

As for the third tail, it appeared on January 23, 2023, when the Earth passed through the orbital plane of the comet, as the dust dropped by the comet during the previous months accumulated across our line of sight to create an antitail.

(In the two weeks before, during, and after Earth's passage through the comet's orbital plane (on January 23), its tails showed remarkable differences that left observers awestruck.)

And because the viewing perspective on the ground affects the appearance of the comet's tail, the shape of the tail changes so that it appears broad or long and thin. (as in the gif below)

Amazing pictures and scenes of the green comet

Several sightings of the comet were recorded over the past days from different regions around the world, we collected some of them for you:

(Green comet seen in the sky over snow-capped Mount Etna in Sicily on January 24, 2023 - the mountain is an active volcano as evidenced by smoke billowing from fumaroles. Comet ZTF shows both a dust tail (pointing upward) and a faint antipodal tail extending in the opposite direction - Photographer: Dario Gianobile (Source: skyandtelescope))

(The Green Comet or ZTF (C/2022 E3) - seen with three tails on January 23, 2023, two days after Earth crossed the comet's orbital plane. Photo: Dan Bartlett (Source: skyandtelescope))