APOD: ZTF meets ATLAS (2023 Feb 10)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
Post Reply
User avatar
APOD Robot
Otto Posterman
Posts: 5345
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:27 am
Contact:

APOD: ZTF meets ATLAS (2023 Feb 10)

Post by APOD Robot » Fri Feb 10, 2023 5:11 am

Image ZTF meets ATLAS

Explanation: Fading as it races across planet Earth's northern skies comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) shares this telescopic frame with comet C/2022 U2 (ATLAS). Captured on the night of February 6 from a garden observatory in Germany's Bavarian Forest, the starry field of view toward the constellation Auriga spans about 2.5 degrees. Discovered by sky survey projects in 2022 (the Zwicky Transient Facility and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) these long-period comets are outbound, reaching perihelion just last month. The much fainter comet ATLAS made its closest approach to our fair planet on January 29 at a distance of about 4.6 light-minutes, compared to a mere 2.4 light-minutes for comet ZTF on February 2. This comet ATLAS lacks the well-developed tails of the formerly naked-eye comet ZTF. But both comets sport greenish tinted comas, emission from diatomic carbon molecules fluorescing in sunlight. Continuing its dash across planet Earth's sky, the good-binocular comet ZTF will appear close to bright planet Mars tonight.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>

User avatar
Holger Nielsen
Ensign
Posts: 64
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 7:45 am

Re: APOD: ZTF meets ATLAS (2023 Feb 10)

Post by Holger Nielsen » Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:00 am

The "Discuss" menu item is missing on todays APOD image, which is quite impressive (the image, that is).

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: APOD: ZTF meets ATLAS (2023 Feb 10)

Post by orin stepanek » Fri Feb 10, 2023 1:45 pm

C2022E3ZTFmeetsC2022U2Atlasbeschriftet1024.jpg
Comet Meets Comet! How rare is That?
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
RJN
Baffled Boffin
Posts: 1667
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2004 1:58 pm
Location: Michigan Tech

Re: APOD: ZTF meets ATLAS (2023 Feb 10)

Post by RJN » Fri Feb 10, 2023 1:56 pm

Holger Nielsen wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:00 am The "Discuss" menu item is missing on todays APOD image, which is quite impressive (the image, that is).
A typo was made on the main NASA page that has now been corrected. The "Discuss" link now shows. We apologize for the mistake.
- RJN

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: APOD: ZTF meets ATLAS (2023 Feb 10)

Post by orin stepanek » Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:56 am

orin stepanek wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 1:45 pm C2022E3ZTFmeetsC2022U2Atlasbeschriftet1024.jpg
Comet Meets Comet! How rare is That?
Really; seems like it would be extremly rare! :mrgreen:
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18112
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA
Contact:

Re: APOD: ZTF meets ATLAS (2023 Feb 10)

Post by Chris Peterson » Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:57 am

orin stepanek wrote: Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:56 am
orin stepanek wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 1:45 pm C2022E3ZTFmeetsC2022U2Atlasbeschriftet1024.jpg
Comet Meets Comet! How rare is That?
Really; seems like it would be extremly rare! :mrgreen:
August 2020. C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) and C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in the same field.
_
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: APOD: ZTF meets ATLAS (2023 Feb 10)

Post by orin stepanek » Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:44 am

Chris Peterson wrote: Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:57 am
orin stepanek wrote: Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:56 am
orin stepanek wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 1:45 pm C2022E3ZTFmeetsC2022U2Atlasbeschriftet1024.jpg
Comet Meets Comet! How rare is That?
Really; seems like it would be extremly rare! :mrgreen:
August 2020. C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) and C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in the same field.
_
Thanks Chris
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

Post Reply