                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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 February 21
   A comet with a green head and extended tails is seen above a high water
   fall. In the night sky field just above the falls, an orange dot -- the
   star Kochab -- is visible. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                        Comet ZTF over Yosemite Falls
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Tara Mostofi

   Explanation: They are both falling. The water in Yosemite Falls,
   California, USA, is falling toward the Earth. Comet ZTF is falling
   toward the Sun. This double cosmic cascade was captured late last month
   as fading Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) had just passed its closest to planet
   Earth. The orange star just over the falls is Kochab. With the
   exception of a brief encounter with a black bear, the featured image
   was a well-planned composite of a moonlit-foreground and long-duration
   background exposures - all designed to reconstruct a deep version of an
   actual single sight. Although Comet ZTF is now fading as it glides back
   to the outer Solar System, its path is determined by gravity and so it
   can be considered to still be falling toward the Sun -- but backwards.

               Comet ZTF Gallery: Notable Submissions to APOD
                 Tomorrow's picture: a surprisingly busy sun
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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