Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is a long period comet from the Oort cloud that was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility on 2 March 2022. The comet has a bright green glow around its nucleus which is due to the effect of sunlight on its molecules, especially diatomic carbon and cyanogen.

 

The comet reached its perihelion on 12 January 2023, at a distance of 1.11 AU (166 million km; 103 million mi), and the closest approach to Earth will be on 1 February 2023, at a distance of 0.28 AU (42 million km; 26 million mi). The comet exceeded magnitude 6 and is dimly visible with the naked eye as a small diffuse smudge under a dark enough sky, but most viewers will need an instrument such as binoculars. A magnitude 5 star is easier to see than a magnitude 5 comet because the comet has a low surface brightness and we see the same total amount of light from the comet as we would from a star with the same magnitude. The first quarter moon occurred on 28 January and will further obscure viewing the comet without optical aid.

 

EQ6R Pro

William optics GT81 and reducer

2600mc cooled to 0c

ASIAIR Pro

Optolong L Pro

ZWO EAF

 

71 x 180s exposures plus calibration frames

Done