This post is in relation to @mmk's post on the green comet which is due to pass the earth at it's closest distance on 1 February. You don't want to miss it, because it won't pass again for another 50,000 years.
You can read the post here:
@MMK set us the task of discovering why the comet is green. The reason is, "The head of the comet can glow green due to the presence of a chemical called diatomic carbon".
Of course then I had to find out what is diatomic carbon. It is a gas, a carbon vapour, and it exists only above temperatures of 3642°C and is common in comets.
I also found some interesting facts about it's name.
https://www.timeanddate.com/news/astronomy/green-comet-2023I think there is a good chance this comet will be visible in my area, or at least a little more into the countryside. Sadly I won't be forcing my kids out of bed to go and spot it 🤭 but I hope someone here will because I bet it will be fascinating! I will look forward to seeing some good news photos of the comet and hopefully to read more about it here at scite!


