Comet ZTF E3

Comet ZTF E3 in the photos. During the third week of January it becomes circumpolar for mid-northern latitude observers and passes about 10° southeast of Polaris on January 29th. On the night of February 10–11 it pays a visit to Mars. Their separation tightens from about 1.5° during the early evening hours (comet northeast of Mars) to just under 1° before the planet sets. Before this cosmic snowball exits Taurus it buzzes past the Hyades from February 13–15.

The comet should become in reach of binoculars even through a somewhat light-polluted sky.

Weekly Stargazing Guide

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31

Ôûá Tonight Comet ZTF E3 is practically at its closest to Earth and is at its predicted peak brightness. But you have only about a one-hour window of dark sky left now between moonset and the beginning of Wednesday's dawn! Set your alarm to go outside, preferably with binoculars or telescope, about 2½ hours before your sunrise time. By that hour the comet, now in Camelopardalis, will be high in the north-northwest, about 17° lower left of Polaris. See the top of this page and the chart in Circumpolar Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) is Here!

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1

Ôûá Right after dark, face east and look very high, almost overhead. The bright star there is Capella, the Goat Star. To the right of it, by a couple of finger-widths at arm's length, is a small, narrow triangle of 3rd and 4th magnitude stars known as "The Kids." Though they're not exactly eye-grabbing, they form a never-forgotten asterism with Capella. Binoculars reveal it well through the moonlight.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Ôûá The waxing gibbous Moon shines in the heart of Gemini, forming a nearly isosceles triangle with Castor and Pollux to its left in the evening.

Ôûá Spot the big, bright, equilateral Winter Triangle in the southeast, lower left of the Moon. Sirius is its brightest and lowest star. Betelgeuse stands above Sirius by about two fists at arm's length. To their left shines Procyon.

Can you discern their colors? Sirius (spectral type A0) is cold white, Betelgeuse (M2) is yellow-orange, and Procyon (F5) is white with just a slight touch of yellow.

And, standing 4° above Procyon is 3rd-magnitude Gomeisa, or Beta Canis Minoris, the only other easy naked-eye star of Canis Minor. (It'll be easier next week when the Moon is gone.)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Ôûá Now the nearly full Moon shines just below Pollux and Castor during evening. It forms a straight line with them when the stars come out over the eastern Canadian Maritimes. The line they make is slightly curved by the time of dusk for the rest of the continent.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Ôûá The Moon is well below Castor and Pollux in early evening. It makes a very broad, gentle arc with Procyon to its right and Sirius about equally far to the right or lower right of Procyon.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Ôûá Full Moon (exactly full at 1:29 p.m. EST). The Moon, in Leo, rises in the east-northeast within a few minutes of sunset. Once the Moon is well up after dark, you can see it forming an isosceles triangle once again with Regulus and Algieba, the two brightest stars of Leo's Sickle.