Green Comet Not Seen Since the Ice Age to Pass Earth in Next Few Weeks, Here’s How to See It

4 For those living in the cities

For the best view, go on a clear night far away from city lights where the sky is as dark as possible. The sky will be even darker when the moon is dim or when it is below the horizon. If you live in the heart of a city, consider bringing binoculars or even a telescope in case the lights make it hard to spot the comet.

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3 How to find comet ZTF in the night sky

You need to look at the right stars to see the green comet. EarthSky.org says that the comet can be seen right now as it moves through the Bootes constellation that borders Hercules. It is moving toward Polaris, also known as the North Star, and will be close to it on January 30. As it moves toward Polaris, it will appear earlier in the evening.

Thomas Prince, director of the WM Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech, told FOX Weather, “It will distinguish itself probably from other stars because it will look a little bit fuzzy compared to other stars.”

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2 If you can spot Mars in the sky, the comet can be seen next to it

Prince says that on February 10, the comet will be about 1.5 degrees from Mars in the Southern Hemisphere. When you hold it out in front of you, that’s about the width of your pinky finger. The comet will be next to it if you can find bright Mars in the sky. You can also use EarthSky published maps to help you find Hercules, Polaris, and Mars in the sky at night.

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1 What makes the comet green?

NASA says the comet has a “greenish coma, short, broad dust tail, and long faint ion tail.” But a lot of comets shine green. Researchers in the lab have found that this aura is caused by a reactive molecule called dicarbon, which gives off green light when it breaks down in the sun.

Dicarbon is usually found in comets but not in their tails. So, the coma, which is the cloud around the frozen ball of gas, dust, and rock at the center of a comet, glows green while the tail stays white.

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