A recently discovered comet, C/2022 E3 (ZTF), will approach close to the Earth on February 1 and can be visible to the naked eye. The event is considered rare as it has not been witnessed for the past 50,000 years.

The comet was first found in March last year by astronomers through the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility, NASA said. At that time, the falling star was passing through Jupiter’s orbit, and it has grown since then.

The comet will come close to Sun on January 12 and pass nearest to the Earth on February 1. It can be seen by anyone, including those who do not have a telescope, provided the sky is not too illuminated by city lights or the Moon.

For those living in Northern Hemisphere, the comet will be visible in January in the early morning, while in the Southern Hemisphere, the comet will make its appearance by early February.

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is made of ice and dust and emits a greenish aura. It is estimated to have a diameter of around a kilometre, Nicolas Biver, an astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory, told AFP news agency.

Space.com reported that the orbital period of the comet was around 50,000 years, which means that it will be making its first approach to Earth in 50,000 years next month.

It is estimated that the comet last passed Earth during the Upper Paleolithic period, when Neanderthals still roamed Earth.

It is believed that the comet may have come from the Oort Cloud, a theorised vast sphere surrounding the Solar System that is home to mysterious icy objects.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A recently discovered comet, C/2022 E3 (ZTF), will approach close to the Earth on February 1 and can be visible to the naked eye. The event is considered rare as it has not been witnessed for the past 50,000 years.

A recently discovered comet, C/2022 E3 (ZTF), will approach close to the Earth on February 1 and can be visible to the naked eye. The event is considered rare as it has not been witnessed for the past 50,000 years. The comet was first found in March last year by astronomers through the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility, NASA said. At that time, the falling star was passing through Jupiter’s orbit, and it has grown since then. The comet will come close to Sun on January 12 and pass nearest to the Earth on February 1. It can be seen by anyone, including those who do not have a telescope, provided the sky is not too illuminated by city lights or the Moon. For those living in Northern Hemisphere, the comet will be visible in January in the early morning, while in the Southern Hemisphere, the comet will make its appearance by early February. C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is made of ice and dust and emits a greenish aura. It is estimated to have a diameter of around a kilometre, Nicolas Biver, an astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory, told AFP news agency. Space.com reported that the orbital period of the comet was around 50,000 years, which means that it will be making its first approach to Earth in 50,000 years next month. It is estimated that the comet last passed Earth during the Upper Paleolithic period, when Neanderthals still roamed Earth. It is believed that the comet may have come from the Oort Cloud, a theorised vast sphere surrounding the Solar System that is home to mysterious icy objects. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Rare comet that was last seen 50,000 years ago to fly past Earth

Astronomers have observed the most ''pristine'' visitor from outer space ever seen in our Solar System,&nbsp;according to a pair of studies released Tuesday detailing its unique characteristics.

Pristine, in astronomical terms, describes a comet that has never passed close enough to a star to be transformed by its searing heat.

2I/Borisov was discovered in 2019 by Ukrainian astrophysicist Gennady Borisov at the MARGO Observatory in Crimea and is only the second interstellar object detected in our planetary system.

The first,&nbsp;the asteroid known as Oumaumua, which roughly means "Scout" in the Hawaiian language,&nbsp;baffled scientists for its unprecedented properties.

Both objects had trajectories unbound by the Sun, suggesting they came our way through the emptiness of deep space from another Solar System.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-detect-how-many-interstellar-objects-may-be-visiting-our-solar-system-370700">Astronomers detect how many interstellar objects may be visiting our solar system</a>

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, an international team describe how 2I/Borisov's coma,&nbsp;the nebulous envelope around the nucleus of a comet, polarised light at a higher rate than typical comets.&nbsp;

This is evidence that the comet probably didn't pass very close to its own star before embarking on its interstellar voyage.

The heat from a star can evaporate a comet's ice particles, liberating dust particles.&nbsp;

Lighter particles form the comet's tail while heavier ones fall back on to its surface, building a crust. Observing the tail of a comet can help scientists see how pristine&nbsp;or intact&nbsp;it is.

Co-author Lioudmila Kolokolova from the University of Maryland's Department of Astronomy explained the findings with reference to the coma, the cloud of gases and particles enveloping the comet core.

"Since we have observed a very homogeneous coma, without any signs of jets and other features, we suppose that the comet does not have a crust," she said.

"Thus it is really a pristine object, not affected much by radiation and charged particles."

The researchers said that only one other comet, Hale-Bopp, discovered by amateur astronomers in 1995,&nbsp;had exhibited similarly polarised light.

&nbsp;'Extremely low odds'

A second paper, published in Nature Astronomy, analysed the dust in the 2I/Borisov's coma and found it consisted of tiny "pebbles".

This compact pebble dust may have resulted from its formation, "perhaps due to gravitational stirring by giant planets much like in our own Solar system" according to lead author Bin Yang, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory.&nbsp;

She said that the indications were that 2I/Borisov's composition was "quite similar to a solar system comet".

There are likely to be far more interstellar objects out there in the vast expanse of space than the two observed so far in our Solar System, she added.

"We think there are many asteroids and comets around other stars," she said.

"However, because of the vast distance between us and other stars, the odds of finding these wandering objects is extremely low."&nbsp;

Astronomers have observed the most ''pristine'' visitor from outer space ever seen in our Solar System, according to a pair of studies released Tuesday detailing its unique characteristics.

Astronomers have observed the most ''pristine'' visitor from outer space ever seen in our Solar System, according to a pair of studies released Tuesday detailing its unique characteristics. Pristine, in astronomical terms, describes a comet that has never passed close enough to a star to be transformed by its searing heat. 2I/Borisov was discovered in 2019 by Ukrainian astrophysicist Gennady Borisov at the MARGO Observatory in Crimea and is only the second interstellar object detected in our planetary system. The first, the asteroid known as Oumaumua, which roughly means "Scout" in the Hawaiian language, baffled scientists for its unprecedented properties. Both objects had trajectories unbound by the Sun, suggesting they came our way through the emptiness of deep space from another Solar System. Also read| Astronomers detect how many interstellar objects may be visiting our solar system Writing in the journal Nature Communications, an international team describe how 2I/Borisov's coma, the nebulous envelope around the nucleus of a comet, polarised light at a higher rate than typical comets. This is evidence that the comet probably didn't pass very close to its own star before embarking on its interstellar voyage. The heat from a star can evaporate a comet's ice particles, liberating dust particles. Lighter particles form the comet's tail while heavier ones fall back on to its surface, building a crust. Observing the tail of a comet can help scientists see how pristine or intact it is. Co-author Lioudmila Kolokolova from the University of Maryland's Department of Astronomy explained the findings with reference to the coma, the cloud of gases and particles enveloping the comet core. "Since we have observed a very homogeneous coma, without any signs of jets and other features, we suppose that the comet does not have a crust," she said. "Thus it is really a pristine object, not affected much by radiation and charged particles." The researchers said that only one other comet, Hale-Bopp, discovered by amateur astronomers in 1995, had exhibited similarly polarised light. 'Extremely low odds' A second paper, published in Nature Astronomy, analysed the dust in the 2I/Borisov's coma and found it consisted of tiny "pebbles". This compact pebble dust may have resulted from its formation, "perhaps due to gravitational stirring by giant planets much like in our own Solar system" according to lead author Bin Yang, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory. She said that the indications were that 2I/Borisov's composition was "quite similar to a solar system comet". There are likely to be far more interstellar objects out there in the vast expanse of space than the two observed so far in our Solar System, she added. "We think there are many asteroids and comets around other stars," she said. "However, because of the vast distance between us and other stars, the odds of finding these wandering objects is extremely low."

Astronomers observe most 'pristine' comet from outer space in Solar system

Soon after, numerous amateur photographers began sharing stunning images of the comet just above the horizon during predawn hours.

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