Green Comet 2023: When it will peak, how to watch it in Leeds - Met Office forecast

A once-in-a-lifetime comet is set to peak and be most visible in the UK next week, once again dazzling the sky over Leeds with astonishing events. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), also known as the ‘Green Comet,’ was last visible 50,000 years ago and will make its closest approach to Earth on Wednesday, February 1.

The comet, which made its closest approach to the Sun on January 12, is already visible in the night sky using a telescope or binoculars, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. However, as the comet becomes brighter and closer, it may become visible to the naked eye against dark skies.

The comet is thought to have entered the solar system from the Oort Cloud, an undiscovered region thought to hold more than a trillion frozen objects. The green comet was originally discovered in March 2022 at the Zwicky Transient Facility in California, hence the designation ZTF.

However, comets are unexpected, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich, and it is hard to determine whether it will be bright enough or what it will look like ahead of time. Without a telescope, it is also unlikely that the comet will produce a visible tail, but this could change.

For the time being, the comet appears in the sky as a fuzzy green ball due to UV radiation from the Sun illuminating the gases erupting from its surface. Here’s everything you need to know about how to see the amazing display in Leeds

When will the Green Comet peak in Leeds?

According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, there are a few different approaches to determine where Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will emerge in the night sky. If you have a stargazing app, you can use it to discover the comet’s exact location in the sky. However, some applications may not be updated with the location of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), so you may need to try a few different ones.

On January 12, the comet travelled from the constellation Corona Borealis to the constellations Boötes and Draco before passing through Ursa Minor near the end of the month. The comet will be in the constellation Camelopardalis when it travels close to Earth in February.

The green comet will pass through Auriga and end up in Taurus in mid-February after its closest approach. The comet will darken during the month, and the period it will be visible in the sky at night will become less and shorter.

What will the weather be like in Leeds?

While you don’t need any special equipment to see the comet when it reaches its peak, preparing ahead of time is always a good idea by first checking the weather forecast. According to the Met Office, Leeds will experience thundery skies during the day, with a maximum temperature of 18C.