In 2023, a rare, bright Green Comet will pass by Earth which may be seen by the human eye. 

In 2023, a rare, bright Green Comet will pass by Earth which may be seen by the human eye.

On Jan. 12, it will make its closest approach to the Sun., and then it will pass closest to Earth on Feb. 2, 2023.

It will be the first time in 50,000 years since the Stone Age that a green comet appears in the night sky.

It is passing Earth at its closest point, and it has not been seen since the time of the Neanderthals.

The gorgeous green comet, named "C/2022 E3 (ZTF)" will pass the sun and Earth at the end of the first month of 2023, and may be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.

This green comet was first sighted in March 2022 when it was already within Jupiter's orbit and it is now passing through the inner solar system.

On Jan. 12, it will make its closest approach to the Sun, and will then whip past Earth making its closest passage of our planet, its perigee, between Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.

The comet has a period of around 50,000 years, according to NASA JPL.  This means, prior to it coming to within around 160 million km of the sun on Jan. 12 and 42 million km of Earth on Feb. 2, the last time it came so close was during the Upper Paleolithic period on Earth. (NASA)

In January and February 2023, the comet C/2022 E3 (ZFT) could put on an amazing show for skywatchers.

Stargazers and astrophotographers have captured stunning images of the beautiful green comet since its discovery.

The comet's tail and the 2.5 arc-min Green Coma are clearly visible, and it is estimated that that it was shining at a brightness of about 11.00 magnitude.

There are several faint (16th to 17th magnitude) PGC galaxies visible in this image as the comet was moving through Ursa Major.

This image of comet C/2022 E3 ZTF is showing the colors of the dust tail very well and a long tortured gas tail.

This NASA sky map shows the approximate location of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the predawn sky in January 2023.  At the time, the comet was in the northern sky but still invisible from the naked eye.

This NASA image provides a glimpse of the path Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) takes through the solar system.

On February 2, 2023, the comet will reach its closest approach to Earth, coming within 26.4 million miles before heading back the outer solar system for another 50,000 years.

When will the green comet be visible? According to NASA, the comet is visible with binoculars in the morning sky. For skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere during the most of January, and for those in the Southern Hemisphere in early February.

Where to watch in sky for green comet? Just before midnight on January 12, skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere should use telescopes and binoculars to look low on the northeastern horizon to spot it.

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