A rare green comet, or comet, is returning to our solar system after thousands of years, and it will likely be visible to the naked eye on February 1 in the Northern Hemisphere.
The comet will pass close to Earth for the first time in 50,000 years and may stay around for a month.
NASA officials say the icy comet was first spotted in March 2022 when it was close to the orbit of Jupiter.
With a handheld telescope, it will appear as a small glowing green object.
"We want to detect the presence or absence of certain molecules in it, such as water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, etc.," said NASA scientist Dr. Sethfani Milam.
The comet's emerald-green glow indicates its chemical composition, the result of sunlight striking the carbon dioxide it contains.
Scientists say it will be closest to Earth on February 1.
"Comets are extremely difficult to predict, but if they continue to increase in brightness, they should be easy to see," NASA said in a blog post.
"It is also possible that it can be seen with the naked eye under a dark sky."
The comet is named C2022E3 (ZTF) and was closest to the Sun on January 12 and will be closest to Earth on February 1.
According to The Planetary Society, it will be only 4.2 million kilometers away from Earth at that time.
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