(ORDO NEWS) — Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) hasn’t been this close in 50,000 years.
January 12, the comet will get as close as possible to the Sun (perihelion) by only 1.1 AU. The heat of the sun has made it an easy target for amateur telescopes.
Comet ZTF, discovered in March 2022 by the Zwicky Transient Facility, has been approaching the Sun for over 50,000 years.
Now it’s time to shine. The proximity to the Sun illuminated the comet to magnitude 6.5, almost visible to the naked eye.
After perihelion, comet ZTF will head towards Earth for a close approach on February 1 (0.28 AU).
This will make the comet even brighter, and its maximum magnitude will be +5, visible to the naked eye, binoculars and a small telescope.
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