Rare comet could be visible in Kilkenny

Kilkenny sky gazers will be hoping for breaks in the cloud tonight as a rare green comet, that has not been seen for 50,000 years, is about to make its closest pass by Earth.

Weather-permitting, seeing this comet with the naked eye will be a possibility and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Called C/2022 E3 (ZTF), this celestial object hails from the Oort cloud at the outermost edge of the solar system.

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Its green glow is a result of ultraviolet radiation from the sun lighting up the gases surrounding the comet’s surface.

The icy ball orbits the sun once every 50,000 years, which means the last time it went past the planet was during the Stone Age – when Neanderthals roamed the Earth.

It is due to pass closest to the planet – still some 42 million kilometres away –  on Wednesday night, into the early hours of Thursday and in a very dark sky will appear as a faint smudge to those looking for it with the naked eye.

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However, even if the moon is too bright for stargazers to spot the comet on Wednesday night, they might be able to catch a glimpse of it a week later when it passes Mars.