Orak was firing up his Tempus Machine as the other three Gifted Mysticals entered the shed. “You called us in such a hurry, is everything okay,” Scorch asked with concern.
Orak had the brightest smile painted across his face. “Not just okay, everything is amazing! I want to take all of you to Earth where we will see a comet cross the sky this week,” Orak said.
“A comet! This opportunity is rare,” Verum jumped with excitement.
“Indeed. Comets, which are cosmic objects made of ice, gas, and rock, orbit far out in the solar system. Comets that are big enough to be seen by the naked eye don’t pass close enough to the Earth very often. I’m so excited to spot this one! It is called Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF),” Orak said.
“That’s a funny name,” Felix smirked.
“It is very informative. The comet was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) on 2 March last year. The Zwicky Transient Facility is an astronomical survey that uses a telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States,” Orak explained.
“When will the comet be visible,” Scorch asked, hopping on the Tempus Machine.
“It will be most visible on February 1, 2023. That is when it’s closest to the Earth,” Orak said, looking at some notes he had made.
“Show me that,” Verum said, playfully snatching Orak’s notes. She read some and gasped, “The comet will show a green streak in the sky!!!!”
“I was just getting to that, no-patience Mystical,” Orak stuck his tongue out. “The comet will show a green smudge in the sky. The color is because of the elements the comet is made up of,” Orak added.
“Fascinating! Do we need a telescope,” Felix asked.
“No, no. A dark location to spot it from and a pair of binoculars should be fine,” Orak smiled.
“Let’s go then, I can’t wait to see this comet,” Scorch said.
“Yes,” Orak said, starting the Tempus Machine, “it’s the first time in 50,000 years this comet will go this close to Earth. Let’s not miss it!”