Photographers capture comet c/2022 E3 over Odisha skies

Comet c/2022 E3 also being tagged as ‘green comet’ has been visible from Bhubaneswar and other parts of Odisha. The photographs of the comet are now going viral on several social media platforms.

The comet was named to refer to those who first spotted it – astronomers using the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) in the US, in March 2022.

The pictures of the comet c/2022 E3 has been reportedly captured by photojournalists Rakesh Roul and Malaya in Bhubaneswar and Koraput, respectively. The photojournalists captured the image of the comet through their tele-lenses.

However, the comet c/2022 E3 will be visible to the naked eye on January 30, 31, February 1 and February 2, 2023. The comet is appearing near Earth after nearly 50,000 years.

Deputy director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Suvendu Pattnaik said, “It will be a golden opportunity for the students and sky gazers to view the comet, which may even be visible to the naked eye.”

According to Patnaik, one can see the comet in naked eyes after 7:30 pm on the above mentioned dates. But one needs to ensure that he/she is away from the city limits with a clear night sky.

“The photographs which have gone viral on social media have been verified and found to be true. But these have been captured with tele-lenses,” said Patnaik, adding that it will be visible to naked eye when it comes closer to earth in coming days.

(Reported by Soumya Sahu)