Green Comet Soaring Over Danville: Photos Of The Day

DANVILLE, CA — Danville has a visitor who hasn’t stopped by in about 50,000 years. And may never visit again. But on Wednesday night, it will only be about 27 million miles away.

The Comet C/2022 E3 has been passing through our part of the Milky Way since late January. Last Wednesday at about 1 a.m., Danville resident Bob Schiff was able to snap an incredible photo of the comet which was only discovered last year and is renowned for its luminous green tail. One photo is a zoomed-in look, and the second photo shows the comet’s long ion tail, which is made of ionized gasses pushed behind the comet (by magnetic field interaction) by the Sun's solar wind.

The comet will reach pedigree - its closest point to earth - on Wednesday, though it will remain visible at night throughout early February. To catch a glimpse, head to a part of the sky as free of light pollution as you can manage, look up to the north just after sunset, and look for a faint greenish glow. The comet will likely be visible to the naked eye, but a telescope or a good pair of binoculars will certainly help.

See here for more information on how to view the comet.

And if you don’t catch it, enjoy these beautiful photos from Bob!