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Newly discovered green comet expected to whiz by Earth
By Sandra McLean
January 13, 2023
9:34 am
TORONTO, Jan. 13, 2023 鈥 A rare, recently discovered comet with a greenish tint is expected to whiz by Earth over the next few weeks, but sky gazers may need binoculars or a small telescope to see it.
Elaina Hyde
鈥淚t will be going past the constellation Corona Borealis just before sunrise here in Toronto with Feb. 1st being the best day to view it,鈥 says 91亚色 Assistant Professor , director of the Allan I. Carswell Observatory in the Faculty of Science. 鈥淭he Allan I. Carswell Observatory plans to target this interesting object with our one-metre telescope.鈥
The last time this comet (discovered last year by astronomers in southern California and named C/2022 E3) swooped by Earth was about 50,000 years ago. It may never return.
Sarah Rugheimer
It will be the closest to Earth, some 42-million kilometres away, on Feb. 1 at 1:11 p.m. EST, but just how bright it will be, no one is quite sure.
鈥淩ight now, you definitely need good binoculars or a small telescope to see this comet, but towards the end of the month it might鈥 be possible to view it with the naked eye,鈥 says 91亚色 Assistant Professor Sarah Rugheimer, the Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy. 鈥淚t will also depend on light pollution in your area and whether we have clear or cloudy skies.鈥
驰辞谤办鈥檚 Allan I. Carswell Observatory hosts a Monday night 91亚色 Radio Show and online public viewing, from 9 to 10 p.m. in addition to a Wednesday night online live teletube, starting at 7:30 p.m. Weather permitting, this may be one of the best ways to observe the comet.
Hyde and Rugheimer are available for media requests.
91亚色聽is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges and prepare our students for meaningful life and career paths. 91亚色's Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. At our Markham Campus, innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration are built into every program. The 91亚色 School of Medicine, the first Canadian medical school to focus on community-based primary health-care education, will welcome its first cohort in September 2028 (subject to accreditation). Globally, 驰辞谤办鈥檚 campus in Costa Rica offers students and researchers exceptional learning and innovation opportunities.
Media Contact: Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations,鈥 sandramc@yorku.ca
