Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

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merle
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Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by merle »

Is this on anyone's radar?

Comet (C/2022 E3) ZTF. Closest approach to earth Feb 1st at .283 au (26,000,000 mi)
According to "Wiki", the comet is expected to get brighter than magnitude 6 and thus become visible with the naked eye from a dark sky site... but more likely you'll still need binoculars.

Circumpolar from now until Feb 5th.


Merle
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clayton
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Re: Comet close approach

Post by clayton »

I think several including me are watching the weather to see when we can get a view. Locally it looks cloudy at least for the next 5 days.
https://weatherstreet.com/states/u-s-cl ... recast.htm
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

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Clayton Lindsey
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Deane Clark
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Deane Clark »

Just waiting for a break in the clouds :-/
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by wkocken »

Sadly, the moon will be big and bright in early Feb.
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Sureshks »

I still haven't seen this comet. It's just been too cloudy or too cold. And now the Moon is starting to come back around.

Suresh
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SEmert
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by SEmert »

Tim Russ, the actor who played Tuvok on Star Trek Voyager just imaged C/2022 E3 ZTF a few days ago. He speaks briefly about it on the YouTube show "The Shuttlepod Show", episode 2.09 "Russ Hour" starting at 1:10:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3gl-jqF1jY
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ktboundary
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by ktboundary »

I took these from my house in Woodbury around 9:30 pm last night. They're horrible quality - just my phone held up to the telescope's eyepiece, but it's the best I could do on short notice and in absolutely freezing temperatures. I'm still glad I got to see it.

The first picture is with a 25 mm lens, second one with a Barlow.
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Deane Clark
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

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I’m impressed that a phone could pick it up! (Note to self - get new phone)
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martyg
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by martyg »

Saw it with an AT72 refractor around 8pm in St. Paul last night. Not much to see. Couldn't se it with binoculars. Took an untracked 5 second exposure with an old DSLR and didn't get the green color I expected.
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Ron Schmit
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Ron Schmit »

We've been watching here from Jackson over this last week. People are coming in with some grossly exaggerated expectations! (Thanks, Social Media!!)

Through our scope, it looks more like this.
C2022_E3_ZTF_Close.jpg
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ktboundary
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by ktboundary »

Ron, how did you get such a clear shot? Was this with a camera mounted to the scope?
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Ron Schmit
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Ron Schmit »

Telescope mounted CCD camera.
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Ron Schmit »

And this? This ain't helping.
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Deane Clark
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Deane Clark »

That actually looks a lot like the one Mark Job took that we saw at the meeting last night :)
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by markjob »

RGB_Comet.jpg
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This is image Dean is referring to from the meeting last night.
This comet is nowhere near the brightness social media has made it out to be. As a novice visual observer such as myself, I have problems finding this comet in my backyard.

This image was captured from Texas remotely with my rig in the wee hours of January 23 using a monochrome camera and RGB filters. Processed in PixInsight. There is about 45 minutes of total exposure time.

Enjoy!
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Deane Clark »

That is awesome Mark!
The other thing that the media keeps emphasizing is that it’s a “green comet”, like that’s so uncommon. And of course the “your only chance for 50,000 years” junk.
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Ron Schmit
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Ron Schmit »

Oh, come on!
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Deane Clark »

[head slap emoji]
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Ron Schmit
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by Ron Schmit »

See? Now you're just asking to get punched.
.
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by DahnGee »

Hasn't Comet always been green?
c.png
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by tim.yates »

Got a chance to look again last night. Even with a streetlight shining in my face, I was able to see it before moonrise in my 12" dob. I could just make out one of the tails extending east-northeast with averted vision. I wasn't able to see any elongation back on Jan. 26.

Just for fun, I tried my Astronomik UHD to see if I could take advantage of the "green." Obviously it's designed for OIII/Hb and not carbon, but the wavelengths are in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, not much to report. I could still see the comet, but it was too dim overall and didn't improve the contrast much. Might have been interesting to try in darker skies with fully adapted eyes.
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merle
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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by merle »

Updated finder chart for the next couple weeks of viewing, before the moon becomes an issue again.

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Re: Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF close approach

Post by bsk1947 »

Captured this a couple of days ago (mono camera, 13 mins of total exposure):
C_2022 E3 (ZTF).png
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