Alve

Feb 09, 2023

Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF)

The naked eye comet C/2022 E3 has been causing quite the stir in 2023 thus far. On Sunday (Feb. 5) skywatchers who haven't spotted the bright comet yet will get an excellent opportunity to do so as it passes the star, Capella, also known as the "Goat Star."

, Latin for "nanny goat," also has the alternative name "Alpha Aurigae" due to the fact that it is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Auriga, the Charoiteer. In addition to this, Capella is also the sixth brightest star in the sky above . It's pushed down to seventh place if the sun is included in that ranking, however.

That makes the Goat Star, which is prominent on winter evenings, a great guide to assist in spotting the . During winter, the gold-hued star is high in the sky late in the evening.

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) moved into the constellation of , the Charioteer, on Wednesday (Feb. 1) just as it was making its close approach to Earth, or perigee. The comet has a period of 50,000 years meaning that the last time it came so close to Earth our planet was in the midst of a glacial period, or "ice age" and early homo sapiens shared its surface with Neanderthals. 

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be in close proximity to Capella throughout the evenings of Sunday (Feb. 5) and Monday (Feb. 6), although it will have moved slightly away from the star by Monday.

The comet might be visible to the unaided eye in some dark sky locations, although any details will be difficult to make out. Through binoculars, skywatchers should be able to make out the faint greenish glow of the comet's coma. Through a telescope, even more details should be discernible, depending on one's equipment and skill.