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Stargazing tips for seeing rare green comet at its brightest THIS WEEK

Stargazing tips as comet C/2022 E3 reaches its brightest THIS WEEK. (Canva) <i>(Image: Canva)</i>
Stargazing tips as comet C/2022 E3 reaches its brightest THIS WEEK. (Canva) (Image: Canva)

With stargazers across the UK eager to catch a glimpse of the rare green comet not seen since the Stone Age, many may be interested in learning some tips and tricks.

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is set to reach its brightest in UK skies this week after being visible by telescope throughout January.

As the comet reaches its closest point to Earth at around 28 million miles away, it will be visible across the northern and southern hemispheres.

With all this said, here is what we know about the comet, how to watch it and some tips and tricks for catching a glimpse of it.

Oxford Mail: Canva - Comet C/2022 E3 is set to be its brightest this week
Oxford Mail: Canva - Comet C/2022 E3 is set to be its brightest this week

Canva - Comet C/2022 E3 is set to be its brightest this week (Image: Canva)

READ MORE: Green Comet UK: When to see it and Met Office forecast

What do we know about the rare green comet not seen since the Stone Age?

The green comet, which was discovered on March 2, 2022, was spotted by Zwicky Transient Facility in California with astronomers calculating that the last time it could have been seen from Earth was during the Stone Age.

The comet is thought to have originated from the outskirts of our solar system in the Oort Cloud.

NASA describes this cloud as a "collection of icy objects farther away than everything else in the solar system."

This cloud is so far away that no spacecraft has yet been able to explore it, though some are making their way over slowly but will sadly be out of power by the time they arrive.

How to see rare green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) on its closest approach in 50,000 years

So far, the comet has been at its most visible before dawn but as we move into February, the comet will be more viewable from the evening onwards.

The comet is expected to be at its brightest between Wednesday, February 1 and Thursday, February 2.

However, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich says you should check what time the moon will rise where you live, to avoid the moon's glow from ruining the spectacle.

Oxford Mail: Canva - NASA says the Green comet comes from the Oort Cloud
Oxford Mail: Canva - NASA says the Green comet comes from the Oort Cloud

Canva - NASA says the Green comet comes from the Oort Cloud (Image: Canva)

Stargazing tips and tricks for viewing comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)

Here are some stargazing tips for viewing the rare green comet:

Use an Astronomy App 

Most modern astronomy information tools can be found on popular astronomy apps such as Celestron's SkyPortal.

This app includes audio and written descriptions of various objects, including comets.

It also has celestial coordinates, a real-time sky map, and rise and set times among many other features.

Check the weather

While this might seem like an obvious thing to check, many people can get caught up in the excitement of seeing something so rare and forget to check if the weather is clear enough to actually see it.

Local weather reports can be found on the Met Office website.

Pick the right spot

Ideally, you should stake out a spot that is dark and far away from the light pollution of major towns and cities.

You should also face towards the north with Jake Foster, a Royal Observatory astronomer saying: “The comet is in the north of our skies, currently close to Polaris, the pole star directly due north."

He added: “The comet is best viewed after midnight, when it reaches its highest point in the sky.

"It will move a significant distance across the sky from night to night as it makes its way towards the constellation of Taurus over the coming weeks.”

Use the averted vision technique

Because comets are faint, fuzzy blobs, you should observe them using the averted vision technique.

Instead of looking directly at them, look off to the side by about 20 degrees to expose your eyes' most sensitive parts to the comet's light, giving you a better chance of seeing it.