macpuzl
By Chuck McPartlin
Just in time for the holidays, there is a nice comet decorating our predawn sky. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is already about six times brighter than initial predictions, and it hasn’t even peaked yet. Although comets are notoriously fickle, it is predicted to be bright enough from late January into February to be perceptible to the naked eye from a dark viewing site. Right now, it’s a smudge in binoculars, cruising across Corona Borealis.
This is a single 30 second exposure at ISO 6400 through a 130mm telescope at 04:47 AM on December 24. It was 115 million miles away. Real photographers should be able to get much better images, especially as it draws closer. Perihelion is on January 12, and it will be closest to Earth on February 1.
Some background on the comet, and its sibling C/2020 V2 (ZTF), currently in our northern sky and much dimmer, is at Sky and Telescope.
Get the current position of E3 at The Sky Live.
