Green Comet To Pass Earth

Above, Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Skywatchers may be getting a rare special treat at the end of this month when a green comet will be passing the Earth.

KIII-TV reported:

A newly discovered bright green comet is on its way past Earth for a once-in-a-lifetime show, and it may be visible to the naked eye.

The comet, named C/2022 E3 (ZTF), was discovered in March 2022 and is passing through our solar system. The icy celestial object has gotten brighter and brighter as it nears the sun, building up excitement from astronomers and skywatchers alike. 

Comets are "cosmic snowballs" of dust, rock and ice. They heat up as they near the sun, taking on a stunning glow and spewing a tail of dust and gas that can stretch millions of miles.

NASA says the bright green comet has a short, broad tail of dust and a long, faint ion tail. You can't see it without a telescope yet, but a few astronomers have nabbed stunning photos as it continues its voyage. 

It will soar past the sun Jan. 12, making its closest approach to Earth around Feb. 2. NASA says those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will find the comet in the morning sky as it heads northwest this month. It'll be visible in the Southern Hemisphere as well in February. 

Above, a panel from Superman no. 172.

When I first saw the headline about a green comet, I immediately thought of a 1964 Edmond Hamilton story in Superman no.172 of the Man of Steel's encounter with a green comet that takes away his super-powers. It was one of the great stories from the Silver Age of comic books. It was drawn by Curt Swan and George Klein.

To read more, go here.

Superman #233 Published A Half-Century Ago

Above, the iconic cover artist Neal Adams doesn't like.

Fifty years ago this month, I was in the first half of my sophomore year in high school.

This month fifty years ago was when Superman #233 (cover date January 1971) hit the newsstands at the "expensive" price of fifteen cents. This issue marked the beginning of the "Bronze Age" of comics for Superman.

A post at the "Neal Adams Almanack" Facebook page caught my attention on the issue.

In this issue, kryptonite was done away with, and Clark Kent was reassigned from the Daily Planet newspaper to Galaxy Broadcasting Company's newsroom. In other words, Clark Kent became John Chancellor (the then-anchor of NBC Nightly News). 

Above, #233's "splash" page by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

Superman #233 also featured an iconic cover by Neal Adams of Superman bursting kryptonite chains from his chest. It is interesting to note that Adams did not like the artwork, feeling it was "rushed". The interior featured the story of "Superman Breaks Loose" by Denny O'Neill with superb artwork by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

The "splash" page of the story states "a return to greatness" for the Man of Steel. Yes, a return was needed as stories became dull and formulaic since the glory days of the early 1960s when science-fiction writer Edmond Hamilton wrote for the comic.

Above, artist Neal Adams and your truly at Comikaze Expo in 2012.

I know it has been a long time since Superman #233 came out, but seeing that it is now a half-century ago, it puts it into a whole different perspective for me. (Jeez, I'm getting old!)

For more details on Superman #233, go here.

Oh, yes. I still have Superman #233 in my collection. I'm hanging onto it since it is considered a "key issue" by collectors.