APOD: Naked-eye Comet ZTF (2023 Jan 21)

[APOD Robot]

Naked-eye Comet ZTF

Explanation: Comet C/2022E3 (ZTF) is no longer too dim to require a telescope for viewing. By January 19, it could just be seen with the naked eye in this rural sky with little light pollution from a location about 20 kilometers from Salamanca, Spain. Still, telescopic images are needed to show any hint of the comet's pretty green coma, stubby whitish dust tail, and long ion tail. Its faint ion tail has been buffeted by recent solar activity. This visitor from the distant Oort cloud rounded the Sun on January 12. and is now sweeping through stars near the northern boundary of the constellation Bootes. Outward bound but still growing brighter, Comet ZTF makes its closest approach on February 2, coming to within about 2.4 light-minutes of our fair planet.

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[orin stepanek]

ZTF_salamanca.jpg

[MarkBour]

Nice image. I appreciate the version on the left that shows a realistic depiction of actual naked-eye visibility.

(Also, a great advertisement for https://www.startrails.es/.)

[johnnydeep]

Naked-eye Comet ZTF

Explanation: Comet C/2022E3 (ZTF) is no longer too dim to require a telescope for viewing. By January 19, it could just be seen with the naked eye in this rural sky with little light pollution from a location about 20 kilometers from Salamanca, Spain. Still, telescopic images are needed to show any hint of the comet's pretty green coma, stubby whitish dust tail, and long ion tail. Its faint ion tail has been buffeted by recent solar activity. This visitor from the distant Oort cloud rounded the Sun on January 12. and is now sweeping through stars near the northern boundary of the constellation Bootes. Outward bound but still growing brighter, Comet ZTF makes its closest approach on February 2, coming to within about 2.4 light-minutes of our fair planet.

Or maybe "Oortward bound!"

[Chris Peterson]

Nice image. I appreciate the version on the left that shows a realistic depiction of actual naked-eye visibility.

(Also, a great advertisement for https://www.startrails.es/.)

The image on the left is nowhere near a depiction of naked-eye visibility. It offers a sense of scale, and that's all. To the eye, this looks like a faint star, with maybe just a hint of fuzziness about it. No color, no tail.

[alter-ego]

Nice image. I appreciate the version on the left that shows a realistic depiction of actual naked-eye visibility.

(Also, a great advertisement for https://www.startrails.es/.)

The image on the left is nowhere near a depiction of naked-eye visibility. It offers a sense of scale, and that's all. To the eye, this looks like a faint star, with maybe just a hint of fuzziness about it. No color, no tail.

Nowhere near, for sure. The faintest stars visible in the image (< 2°from the comet) are ~12th magnitude.

[MarkBour]

Nice image. I appreciate the version on the left that shows a realistic depiction of actual naked-eye visibility.

(Also, a great advertisement for https://www.startrails.es/.)

The image on the left is nowhere near a depiction of naked-eye visibility. It offers a sense of scale, and that's all. To the eye, this looks like a faint star, with maybe just a hint of fuzziness about it. No color, no tail.

Nowhere near, for sure. The faintest stars visible in the image (< 2°from the comet) are ~12th magnitude.

Drat. Well, thanks to both of you for the correction! I have been rather disappointed over the years with going out and looking for a comet and expecting to see more than I can. Still, hope springs eternal, and I'm waiting for the next NEOWISE, one of the very few comets that was lots of fun to go out and observe in person, with my very limited skills and equipment.