Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 January 21 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Naked-eye Comet ZTF Image Credit & [3]Copyright: Óscar Martín Mesonero ([4]Organización Salmantina de la Astronáutica y el Espacio) Explanation: Comet C/2022E3 (ZTF) is no longer too dim to require a telescope for viewing. By January 19, it [5]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. [6]Still, telescopic images are needed to show any hint of the comet's pretty green coma, stubby whitish dust tail, and long ion tail. [7]Its faint ion tail has been buffeted by [8]recent solar activity. This visitor from the [9]distant Oort cloud rounded the Sun on January 12. and is now sweeping through stars near the [10]northern boundary of the constellation Bootes. [11]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. Tomorrow's picture: in green company __________________________________________________________________ [12]< | [13]Archive | [14]Submissions | [15]Index | [16]Search | [17]Calendar | [18]RSS | [19]Education | [20]About APOD | [21]Discuss | [22]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell ([26]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [27]Specific rights apply. [28]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC, [32]NASA Science Activation & [33]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/ZTF_salamanca.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.osae.info/ 5. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/new-comet-might-get-bright-enough-for-binoculars/ 6. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/spot-circumpolar-comet-ztf-c-2022-e3-in-binoculars/ 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230109.html 8. https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=19&month=01&year=2023 9. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/oort-cloud/in-depth/ 10. https://theskylive.com/c2022e3-info#ephemeris 11. http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comet/2022E3 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230120.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230121 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230122.html 23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 30. https://www.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 33. http://www.mtu.edu/