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 February 7
     [2]The featured image shows Comet ZTF with a long tail between two
   famous star asterisms: the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. The image
   depicts the Little Dipper near the top of the image, and the Big Dipper
        near the bottom. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                           A Comet and Two Dippers
   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Petr Horalek / [4]Institute of Physics in
                                    Opava

   Explanation: Can you still see the comet? Yes. Even as [5]C/2022 E3
   (ZTF) fades, there is still time to see it if you know [6]where and
   when to look. Geometrically, [7]Comet ZTF has passed its closest to
   both the [8]Sun and the [9]Earth and is now headed back to the outer
   [10]Solar System. Its orbit around the Sun has it gliding across the
   northern sky all month, after passing [11]near Polaris and both the
   [12]Big and [13]Little Dippers last month. [14]Pictured, Comet ZTF was
   photographed between the two dippers in late January while sporting an
   [15]ion tail that extended over 10 [16]degrees. Now below naked-eye
   visibility, [17]Comet ZTF can be found with binoculars or a small
   telescope and a [18]good sky map. A good time to [19]see the comet over
   the next week is after the Sun sets -- but before [20]the Moon rises.
   The comet will move [21]nearly in front of Mars in a few days

             Comet ZTF Gallery: [22]Notable Submissions to APOD
                        Tomorrow's picture: wind star
     __________________________________________________________________

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   [28]Calendar | [29]RSS | [30]Education | [31]About APOD | [32]Discuss |
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     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [38]Specific rights apply.
              [39]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC,
                         [43]NASA Science Activation
                           & [44]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2302/ZtfDippersB_Horalek_960_annotated.jpg
   3. https://www.petrhoralek.com/#about-1
   4. https://www.slu.cz/phys/en/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2022_E3_(ZTF)
   6. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/gray-tabby-cat-looking-craft-260nw-2150888687.jpg
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230109.html
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/in-depth/
   9. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/overview/
  10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/in-depth/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230203.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130421.html
  13. https://earthsky.org/tonight/how-to-find-the-little-dipper/
  14. https://www.petrhoralek.com/?p=23393
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200429.html
  16. https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/degrees.html
  17. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/spot-circumpolar-comet-ztf-c-2022-e3-in-binoculars/
  18. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/understanding-the-tails-of-comet-ztf-c-2022-e3/
  19. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/new-comet-might-get-bright-enough-for-binoculars/
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211010.html
  21. https://earthsky.org/tonight/mars-and-comet-2022-e3-ztf-february-10-11-2023/
  22. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.172146088847310&type=3
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230206.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230207
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230208.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  44. http://www.mtu.edu/