Watch: rare 'green comet' makes first appearance in 50,000 years

Comet ZTF, which last flew past Earth about 50,000 years ago, made an appearance on January 29. Popuarly known as 'green comet', it came closest to Earth on February 1.

Scientists had predicted its arrival between January 29- February 1, and the comet has been seen in different parts of the world. Social media is flooded with astonishing visuals of the green comet captured in different time zones.

According to NASA, the comet appears green due to presence of diatomic carbon, which emits light as green.

According to NASA, "the recently discovered comet is now passing through the inner solar system and should be visible with a telescope and likely with binoculars.

The comet, which has a mouthful of a name – C/2022 E3 (ZTF) – was first sighted in March last year, when it was already inside the orbit of Jupiter. It makes its closest approach to the Sun on January 12, and then passes its closest to Earth on February 2.

Experts call Comet ZTF an interesting comet. It comes from far out in the solar system, more than 2,000 times further from the sun than the Earth is. It dove in from above the Earth, moved down around the sun, and is now swinging around Earth on its way back out.

This comet is interesting because it comes from a region far out in the edges of the solar system called the Oort Cloud. The Oort Cloud is a mysterious, not well understood region of space with a reservoir of comets that are left over from the formation of the Earth and sun billions of years ago.

(With AP inputs)

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