Keep your eyes on the sky for the next few weeks, because we have a visitor. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered last year by Palomar Observatory’s Zwicky Transient Facility (hence the name). Its orbit will bring it on its closest approach to the sun next week, and its closest approach to Earth at the beginning of February.

Right now, the comet can only be seen with a telescope; but by its closest approach, may be visible in the early morning sky with just a pair of binoculars.

 

Read More:

• NASA announcement https://science.nasa.gov/comet-2022-e3-ztf

• NASA Small Body Database https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=1003845

• Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2022_E3_(ZTF)

• EarthSky https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/new-comet-might-get-bright-enough-for-binoculars/

• Space.com https://www.space.com/comet-2022-e3-ztf-possible-naked-eye-visibility-2023