Comet, which passed by Earth 50 thousand years ago, will be able to be seen again
Comet "ZTF", which last passed by Earth 50,000 years ago and originates from distant regions of the solar system, will pass close to the Sun this week and could be visible with the naked eye at the end of January, writes AFP.
The small rocky and icy body, estimated to be about 1 kilometre in diameter, was discovered in March 2022. Detected as it passed through Jupiter's orbit, the comet is currently heading towards the Sun and will reach perihelion, the shortest distance from the Sun, on January 12, according to astronomers' calculations. The star will be easy to spot with high-performance binoculars or even with the naked eye for part of the night.
The comet is not on its first approach to the Sun: there was one more trip that propelled it toward our realms about 50,000 years ago.
