At the start of 2023 Earth will be visited by a newly discovered comet that may just be bright enough to be spotted with the naked eye.
The
comet, named C/2022 E3 (ZTF), is currently passing through the inner solar system. It will make its closest approach to
the sun, or perihelion, on Jan. 12, and will then whip past
Earth making its closest passage of our planet, its perigee, between Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.
If the comet continues to brighten as it currently is, it could be visible in dark skies with the naked eye. This is difficult to predict for comets, but even if C/2022 E3 (ZTF) does fade it should still be visible with
binoculars or a
telescope for a number of days around its close approach.