{"id":40007,"date":"2023-01-03T11:12:45","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T11:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=114678"},"modified":"2023-01-03T11:32:37","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T11:32:37","slug":"comet-c-2022-e3-ztf-is-keeping-stargazers-looking-up-this-month","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/comet-c-2022-e3-ztf-is-keeping-stargazers-looking-up-this-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Comet C\/2022 E3 ZTF is keeping stargazers looking up this month"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 03 January 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Comet C\/2022 E3 ZTF is currently the talk of the town in amateur astronomy circles, and has begun to cause quite a stir online.<\/p>\n

But how bright will Comet E3 really get? Should we believe the hype? What can we expect to see from it in January 2023?<\/p>\n

For a continued update, read Stuart Atkinson\u2019s blog on Comet C\/2022 E3 ZTF<\/a> and find out what you can expect to see.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Stuart Atkinson braved the cold at 05:45 UTC on 7 December 2022 to capture this (cropped) image of Comet C\/2022 E3 ZTF. Equipment: Canon EOS 700D DSLR camera, iOptron sky tracker, 80-300mm lens at 300.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Comet C\/2022 E3 ZTF makes a dash for it this month.<\/p>\n

Having held position in the region of Corona Borealis over the past weeks, the comet<\/a> rapidly heads north during January 2023.<\/p>\n

Below is a list of important dates and predictions surrounding Comet E3, and what we can expect to see from it in January 2023.<\/p>\n

Comet C\/2022 E3 ZTF: dates and predictions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Chart showing the location of Comet C\/2022 E3 ZTF in January 2023. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

C\/2022 E3 ZTF begins the month at a predicted magnitude of +7.5.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the nights of 10\/11<\/strong> and 11\/12 January<\/strong>, it is expected to have brightened to mag. +6.8 and will be approximately 5\u00b0 east of Alkalurops (Mu (\u03bc) Bootis).<\/span><\/p>\n

It formally exits the border of Corona Borealis on 13 January<\/strong>, continuing its northerly track. <\/span><\/p>\n

It then sits 5\u00b0 west of mag. +3.9 Tau (<\/span>\u03c4<\/span>) and +4.2 Phi (<\/span>\u03c6<\/span>) Herculis on 17\/18 January<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

After this date, if it follows its predicted brightness curve, the comet will pass the naked-eye threshold, mag. +6.0.<\/p>\n

Appearing as a diffuse, fuzzy object, this brightness is an integrated magnitude: how bright the comet would appear if all its light were concentrated into a single point of light, like a star.<\/p>\n

So despite passing the threshold, it is unlikely to be a naked-eye object at this time.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Comet chaser Jos\u00e9 J. Chamb\u00f3 captured this image of Comet\u00a0C\/2022\u00a0E3\u00a0(ZTF) on 2 September 2022 from Valles, Valencia, Spain. The comet can be seen in conjunction with blue star 23 Herculis (mag. +6.4). Equipment: Atik 383L+ camera, TS-Photon 8\u2033 N f\/3.6<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Despite this, it should be a relatively easy binocular object and will hopefully continue to brighten over the coming days.<\/p>\n

Passing 2\u00b0 east of the mag. +9.9 galaxy M102 on the night of 22\/23 January<\/strong>, the comet is predicted to be at mag. +5.6.<\/p>\n

Continuing north-northwest, it passes 1\u00b0 west of mag. +3.3 Iota (\u03b9) Draconis on the night of 23\/24 January<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

On the night of 25\/26 January<\/strong> it will have crossed the border into the most northerly constellation of them all, Ursa Minor, the Little Bear.<\/p>\n

As it does so it passes less than 0.5\u00b0 west of the variable star<\/a> RR Ursae Minoris, a red star that varies in brightness between mag. +4.5 and +4.7.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Chart showing the location of Comet C\/2022 E3 ZTF in Ursa Minor in late January 2023. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

C\/2022 E3 ZTF lies a little over 3.1\u00b0 from Kochab (Beta (\u03b2) Ursae Minoris) on the night of 27\/28 January<\/strong>, a location that should make it fairly easy to find, given that it will be possible to place both objects in the field of view of average binoculars.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Moon will be a 42%-lit waxing crescent on 27 January<\/strong>, so wait for it to set before making your attempt.<\/span><\/p>\n

On this date, as long as it behaves \u2013 and there is no guarantee with a comet \u2013 C\/2022 E3 ZTF should be shining with an integrated magnitude of +5.0 and, possibly, visible to the naked eye given a dark sky. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of the month it will have passed into the faint constellation of Camelopardalis as it begins a rapid dive southwest through next month.<\/p>\n

This guide originally appeared in the January 2023 issue of <\/strong><\/em>BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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