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 31
    [2]Comet ZTF is shown high above and far beyond a row of silhouetted
        trees. The top inset image shows how the comet looked through
     binoculars, while the lower inset image shows how the comet looked,
     last week, thought a small telescope. The lower inset image clearly
   shows the comets coma, dust tail, ion tail, and a noticeable antitail.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                         A Triple View of Comet ZTF
       Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Javier Caldera & [4]Miguel Gracia

   Explanation: Comet ZTF has a distinctive shape. The now bright comet
   visiting the inner [5]Solar System has been showing not only a common
   [6]dust tail, [7]ion tail, and [8]green gas coma, but also an
   uncommonly distinctive [9]antitail. The antitail does not actually lead
   the comet -- it is just that the head of the comet is [10]seen
   superposed on part of the fanned-out and trailing dust tail. The
   [11]giant dirty snowball that is [12]Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has now
   passed its closest to the [13]Sun and tomorrow will pass its closest to
   the Earth. The main panel of the [14]featured triple image shows how
   Comet ZTF looked last week to the unaided eye under a dark and clear
   sky over [15]Cáceres, [16]Spain. The top inset image shows how the
   comet looked through [17]binoculars, while the lower inset shows how
   the comet looked through [18]a small telescope. The comet is [19]now
   visible all night long from northern latitudes but will [20]surely fade
   from easy observation during the next few weeks.

             Comet ZTF Gallery: [21]Notable Submissions to APOD
                Tomorrow's picture: planets real and imagined
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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [37]Specific rights apply.
              [38]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC,
                         [42]NASA Science Activation
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/TripleCometZTF_Caldera_3574.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/astrocld/
   4. https://www.instagram.com/mxguelastro/
   5. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/in-depth/
   6. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/anatomy-of-a-comet.en.jpg
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210308.html
   8. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/07/science/why-comets-are-green.html
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antitail
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antitail#/media/File:Anti-tail.jpg
  11. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2022_E3_(ZTF)
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230114.html
  14. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn1tZRBoXSF/
  15. https://youtu.be/pAWvXFfI2yo
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binoculars
  18. https://www.atnf.csiro.au/outreach/education/senior/astrophysics/galileo.html
  19. https://in-the-sky.org/ephemeris.php?objtxt=CK22E030
  20. https://www.womansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/sad-cat-eyes-1.jpg
  21. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.172146088847310&type=3
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230130.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230131
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230201.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/