Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be visible to the naked eye at the end of January or on February 1st, according to NASA estimates. This is a rare opportunity to see the newly discovered comet without the use of a telescope.

Astronomers discovered Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in early March of this year using the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility.

The new long-period comet has significantly brightened since then and is now passing through the northern constellation Corona Borealis in the early sky.

Unfortunately, it is still too dim to be visible without the use of a telescope.

This amazing telescopic image was taken on December 19 and shows the comet’s strong greenish coma, short broad dust tail, and long faint ion tail over a 2.5-degree wide field of view.

Comet 2022 E3, now making its way through the inner Solar System, will reach perihelion on January 12 and perigee on February 1 of this year.

Even though the brightness of comets is notoriously difficult to forecast, it is possible that Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may become just barely visible to the naked eye in the dark night sky by that time, according to NASA.

Image Credit: Dan Bartlett Via NASA