In a breath-taking snowy Mount Etna, the bluish-green Comet 2022-E3 (named the Neanderthal comet) is rising above its right slope among the stars.
During the only night with clear skies that occurred in this last ten days of January 2023 I went to Snowy Etna! Although it was not difficult to reach the position from which to resume the comet, the atmospheric conditions were certainly prohibitive. During the night, the temperature dropped to -8°C at an altitude of 2000mt, an exceptionally cold temperature for Sicily! However, the landscape was breathtaking: an expanse of soft snow disturbed only by some fox and rabbit footprints.
A single image that transmits feelings of strength and delicacy at the same time. It provides a unique view of the universe, projecting us towards the cosmic depths from which this comet began its journey. It is possible to see the volcano internal walls through the fracture that caused part of the conical building to collapse. Some hot spots appear in the dark: they are fumaroles from which volcanic vapors come out.
