NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 21 January 2023: Comet ZTF in all its glory!

The rare green comet, which is heading for a rendezvous with Earth soon, is all over the news! This rare comet C2022 E3 ZTF was at perihelion, its closest to the Sun, on January 12. What makes it an interesting celestial object is that it makes a once-in-50000-year appearance. But don’t worry, Perigee, which is the comet's closest approach to our Earth, will be on February 1. It is a golden opportunity to watch it. Today, it has been shared by NASA as its Astronomy Picture of the Day.

“Comet C/2022E3 (ZTF) is no longer too dim to require a telescope for viewing. By January 19, it could just be seen with the naked eye in this rural sky with little light pollution from a location about 20 kilometers from Salamanca, Spain,” NASA explained about the image of Comet ZTF. Still, NASA says that telescopic images are needed to show any hint of the comet's pretty green coma, stubby whitish dust tail, and long ion tail.

The shared image shows its faint ion tail which has been buffeted by recent solar activity. “This visitor from the distant Oort cloud rounded the Sun on January 12. and is now sweeping through stars near the northern boundary of the constellation Bootes. Outward bound but still growing brighter, Comet ZTF makes its closest approach on February 2, coming to within about 2.4 light-minutes of our fair planet,” NASA informed.

How to watch Comet ZTF

At the closest point towards the Earth, the comet will still be more than 100 times the moon’s distance! Late January and early February is the best time to witness this icy visitor from the outer solar system, that too with naked eyes. Earthsky.org says that on January 30, the comet will be in the general vicinity of Polaris – the North Star.

Did you know?

With the help of a 48-inch (1.2-meter) Samuel Oschin robotic telescope, astronomers discovered Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF on March 2, 2022. The telescope is part of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), located at Mt. Palomar in southern California. Also, it was the 3rd celestial object found in the fifth month (A, B, C, D, E) of the year. And that’s how it got its name comet 2022 E3 (ZTF).