Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered by astronomers using the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility in early March 2022. A
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered by astronomers using the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility in early March 2022.
As the new long-period comet has brightened substantially and is now sweeping across the northern constellation Corona Borealis in predawn skies. It was at first too dim to be seen without a telescope, but by now it is visible at naked eye.
This fine telescopic image from December 19 2022 shows the comet’s brighter greenish coma, short broad dust tail, and long faint ion tail stretching across a 2.5 degree wide field-of-view.
On a voyage through the inner Solar System comet 2022 E3 was at perihelion, its closest to the Sun, in January 12 and at perigee, its closest to our fair planet, on February 1.
The brightness of comets is notoriously unpredictable, but as of now C/2022 E3 (ZTF) should be just visible to the eye in dark night skies.
Credit to: NASA.gov / Coyright photo: Dan Bartlett
