Green Comet gets easier to spot as night skies clear up in Tiruchi

The Green Comet sighted from Nagamangalam, Tiruchi, this week.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Improved weather conditions in Tiruchi are helping stargazers to spot a rare visitor from the distant reaches of the solar system: C/2022 E3 (ZTF), more popularly known as Green Comet.

Known to be the year’s first celestial phenomenon, the comet has been making its closest approach to Earth (known as its ‘perigee’ point) from the first week of February.

Unlike other comets, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is said to be rare, as scientists believe it to have travelled from the distant reaches of the Oort Cloud, a giant spherical shell surrounding the rest of the solar system. It is estimated to have taken approximately 4.5 trillion km over the last 50,000 years, reaching the perigee point.

“Due to clear dark skies after sunset, we are able to observe the Green Comet from 7 p.m. until midnight with the help of a telescope; we missed it earlier in February because of the sudden showers in Tiruchi region at the time. The Green Comet can be seen only for a few more days,” K. Balakrishnan, teacher and hobby astronomer, told The Hindu.

Mr. Balakrishnan has been tracking and photographing the movement of the comet with a telescope and specialist camera from Nagamangalam since February 7.

“We had to cancel the Green Comet observation event we had planned in early February because of the rain, but astronomy organisations across India are reporting clear sightings, in some places, with just binoculars,” said R. Shiddartha, president, Nakshatra astronomy club of National Institute of Technology – Tiruchi (NITT).

Mr. Balakrishnan says the comet appears to have a hazy green aura because its coma (the glowing atmosphere formed around it by the radiation of gases when when the shooting star comes close to the Sun) has certain components like diatomic carbon and cyanogen.