This evening a green comet will be visible two moon widths from Mars from our perspective but over 100 times further away than the moon.

Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) is a rare event and probably worth stepping outside and taking a quick look up - if you've a telescope or binoculars - ideally after sunset but before moonrise.

New Zealand astronomer John Drummond says:

It's been sitting way out about one or two light years from the sun and this one here somehow got perturbed, nudged, and came in towards the sun so this is the first time we've seen it for about 50,000 years.

You can't walk outside and just look up and see the comet as a blazingly bright thing with the naked eye. You will need binoculars to actually see it as a fuzzy blob.

We wouldn't normally be excited by the prospect of a fuzzy blob but this may be an exception.

[ Main Image: Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF). Credit: Dan Bartlett via NASA. ]

References

NASA Science. Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF). (viewed February 11, 2023)

Sky News (February 9, 2023). ‘Green Comet’ to make its way past Earth.

Thomson, Lucy (February 10, 2023) Green comet set to appear in New Zealand skies may never be seen again. Newshub.

Wikipedia. C/2022 E3 (ZTF). (viewed February 11, 2023)