(WGHP) — Stargazers have the chance to possibly see an astronomically rare event next week.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will pass by the Earth next month. The comet, first discovered in March 2022 by researchers in California, has a green glow and a full orbit of around 50,000 years.
That means it last visited Earth in the era of the Neanderthals.
On Jan. 12, the comet will make its closest approach to the sun and then pass closest to Earth at 26.4 million miles on Feb. 2.
It will be easy to see with a pair of binoculars and could be visible to the naked eye under dark skies if it continues its current trend of brightness, according to NASA.
“The brightness of comets is notoriously unpredictable…C/2022 E3 (ZTF) could become only just visible to the eye in dark night skies,” NASA officials say.
