Brightening comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) loops the loop in the Northern Crown
As brightening comet C/2017 K2 PanSTARRS has now moved too far south to be followed from the UK, all eyes will be turning to C/2022 E3 (ZTF), a comet currently in Corona Borealis. Its orbit, combined with the relative motion of Earth, has it performing a south-pointing loop into Serpens Caput before heading north out of the semicircle of stars which forms the distinctive constellation of the Northern Crown.
C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered on 2 March 2022 using a 48-inch telescope at the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) at Mount Palomar Observatory, California. It’s due to reach perihelion on 13 January 2023 when it will lie 1.11 AU from the Sun. Its closest approach to Earth is on 2 February 2023, the distance between us and the comet dropping to 0.29 AU or 44 million kilometres.
Its brightness should increase as it approaches perihelion, due to its close proximity to the Sun, and as the distance between us and the comet reduces through to the start of February. At the start of October, C/2022 E3 is expected to be around mag. +11.7, brightening by one magnitude through the month. Its location in Corona Borealis means it’s best seen in the evening sky, shifting to the morning sky as we head through November and on towards the end of the year. At the end of November C/2022 E3 is expected to appear around mag. +9.4, brightening to binocular range at mag. +7.6 by the end of December 2022. At perihelion on 13 January 2023, the comet is predicted to reach mag. +6.6. As it performs its closest approach to Earth on 2 February 2023, it’s predicted to be a naked-eye object at mag. +4.8. Excitingly, it’ll be well positioned for UK observing over this entire period.