Once-in-a-lifetime chance to see rare comet Wednesday night
A once-in-a-lifetime event will pass through the sky Wednesday night, as a comet known as C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be at its closest point to Earth.
The comet was first discovered in March by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California. Though according to experts, the kilometre-wide ball of frozen gases, rocks and dust has been on a journey orbiting through the solar system ever since the last time it was visible from earth, more than 50,000 years ago.
"It will be 50,000 years again until it comes by. It actually occurred back when Homo sapiens were replacing Neanderthals in the upper Paleolithic era,” said Orbax, a production specialist with the department of physics at the University of Guelph.
Experts predict C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be at its brightest locally around 10:20 p.m. Wednesday night.
"It should be close enough to the earth that you’re actually going to be able to see it with the unaided eye,” Orbax said.
The chemical makeup of the comet will cause it to appear as a green streak in the sky.
“This one is a high content of dicarbon molecules which is why it will appear to be green rather than a different colour,” Orbax said.
Members of the KW Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada are planning to watch for the comet.
"Basically being kissed by the comet as it were, because they are real particles, wave particles that hit our eye," said Ellen Papenburg, with the KW Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Papenburg has witnessed similar events before but doesn't expect this one to be as bright as others.
"Too much hype about it," she said. "On the other hand it came from far, so it is very nice even if you can see even a vague patch."
Papenburg plans to find a darker area to watch the comet and use binoculars or a telescope to see it even better.
"Take our telescopes and probably go out of the city, because it's better to be dark and I will try with binoculars but also with telescopes with friends," Papenburg said.
Ellen Papenburg on Jan. 31 pointing to where she typically watches comet events in Kitchener. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)
According to Orbax, the comet will still be slightly visible from earth all the way until February 15, but the clouds could be an issue for any sky gazers.
"You're going to want to keep your fingers crossed that we're going to have a rare break in our February cloud cover and that you'll actually be able to see it," Orbax said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.