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Must not miss Comet ZTF (ZTF) is the closest to Earth in 50,000 years tonight, visible to the naked eye. Open the technique to find the stars, click here.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is at its closest position to Earth in 50,000 years. It is a natural phenomenon that should not be missed. It is the first astronomical phenomenon that occurred in February 2023.
National Astronomical Research Institute (NARIT) or NARIT provides information that Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is a long-period comet. Orbiting the Sun in about 50,000 years, it was discovered in early March 2022 by the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-angle telescope network.
The object initially had an apparent magnitude of 17.3, before brightening until astronomers recognized it as a comet. And it is fortunate that the increase in brightness is now visible to the naked eye.
For people who are interested in monitoring comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), in this period, if it is in a completely dark area, it can be observed with the naked eye in the northern sky around the constellation Giraffe. (Camelopardalis) from about 10:00 p.m.
by the beginning of February It is when this comet is closest to Earth. (February 1-2) can be observed from sunset until dawn before sunrise the next day. Expect a slight increase in brightness.
Comet Locating Techniques
Try to observe a celestial object that appears hazy or a star that is not as sharp as other stars. If using a telescope or binoculars to help observe, it will help to confirm and see the comet more clearly and when recording this comet through the camera with a long exposure, you can observe the comet’s unique tail and green color. this
Previously, the NARIT Facebook page published a photograph of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from the top of Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai Province on January 28, 2023 in the early morning time around 3:00 a.m.-4:00 a.m. From this picture, there are 3 tails visible from the comet, namely
The “ion tail” has the longest character. bifurcated Point directly to the top left corner.
The “dust tail” has a cloudy appearance to the left, although it is not clear now. But there is a chance that the dust tail will be more clearly observed as it approaches Earth.
Finally, “Antitail” is getting harder to notice. Because this type of tail can be seen for a short time. Only when the comet orbits between the Earth and the Sun. and the Earth passes through or approaches only the comet’s orbital plane.