NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 3 February 2023: Comet ZTF leaves awesome trail

NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day is a stunning picture of the Comet ZTF as it leaves a trail behind itself that was captured in the northernmost declination of the sky in Spain.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Feb 03 2023, 14:11 IST
NASA spots 5 asteroids, including colossal 460-foot asteroid heading for Earth
Comet ZTF
1/5 Asteroid 2023 BR5 - NASA has issued an alert against an asteroid named Asteroid 2023 BR5. The asteroid is expected to fly past Earth closely today, February 3, at a distance of 4.1 million kilometers. According to NASA, the asteroid is relatively small with a size 28 feet and 62 feet across. This space rock is already on its way towards Earth, travelling at a staggering speed of 28334 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
Comet ZTF
2/5 Asteroid 2011 AG5 - A colossal asteroid which is nearly 460 feet wide will fly past Earth by a very close margin today, February 3. The asteroid, named Asteroid 2011 AG5, will make its closest approach with the planet at a distance of 1.8 million kilometers. The asteroid is travelling towards the planet at a blistering speed of 35706 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
Comet ZTF
3/5 Asteroid 2023 BN6 – Another asteroid named 2023 BN6 will make its closest approach to Earth tomorrow, February 4, at just 769,090 kilometers. The asteroid, with a width between 82 feet and 180 feet, is travelling at a staggering speed of 27038 kilometers per hour towards the planet.  (Pixabay)
Comet ZTF
4/5 Asteroid 2020 OO1 - NASA has issued an alert against another asteroid named Asteroid 2020 OO1. It is expected to fly past Earth closely tomorrow, February 4, at a distance of 1.8 million kilometers. The asteroid is already on its way towards Earth, travelling at a speed of 27852 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
Comet ZTF
5/5 Asteroid 2023 BO7 - The fifth asteroid which is set to make a close approach is named Asteroid 2023 BO7. It is heading for Earth and is expected to pass by the planet closely tomorrow, February 4. Asteroid 2023 BO7 is already on its way towards us travelling at a fearsome speed of 18537 kilometers per hour. The asteroid, with a width between 32 feet and 72 feet, will make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 5.4 million kilometers.   (NASA)
Comet ZTF
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Comet ZTF made its closest approach to Earth on February 2. (NASA/David Ibarra Gomez)

Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock, and ices. They range from a few miles to tens of miles wide, but as they orbit closer to the Sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a planet. When a comet gets close to the Sun, its ice and dust content start to vaporize. So, when seen in a telescope, a comet appears fuzzy and has a tail.

Although comets often make close trips to Earth, one particular comet has intrigued astronomers and skywatchers alike. The comet is called Comet C/2022E3 (ZTF) and it is a long-period comet that originated in the Oort cloud. What's shocking about this comet is the last time it came close to Earth; it was seen by Neanderthals nearly 50000 years ago in the Upper Paleolithic period.

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a stunning picture of the Comet ZTF and the trail it leaves behind near the Polaris Star. According to NASA, this comet was discovered by astronomers using the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility in 2022 in March last year. The image was captured by astrophotographer David Ibarra Gomez with a digital camera fixed to a tripod near Ager, Lleida, Spain.

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NASA explains

Stars trace concentric arcs around the North Celestial Pole in this three-hour long night sky composite, recorded with a digital camera fixed to a tripod on January 31, near Àger, Lleida, Spain. On that date Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was near its northernmost declination in planet Earth's sky. That put the comet about 10 degrees from Earth's North Celestial Pole making the comet's position circumpolar, always above the horizon, from all locations on planet Earth at more than 10 degrees northern latitude. In the startrail image, the extension of Earth's axis of rotation into space is at the left. North star Polaris traces the short, bright, concentric arc less than a degree from the North Celestial Pole

The trail of Comet ZTF is indicated at the right, its apparent motion mostly reflecting Earth's rotation like the stars. But heading for its closest approach to planet Earth on February 1, the comet is also moving significantly with respect to the background stars. The diffuse greenish trail of Comet ZTF is an almost concentric arc mingled with startrails as it sweeps through the long-necked constellation Camelopardalis.

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First Published Date: 03 Feb, 14:10 IST
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