Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is currently in the constellation of Auriga. The current Right Ascension of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is 05h 00m 38s and the Declination is +40° 04’ 55” (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]). The current estimated magnitude of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is 8.39 (JPL) while the latest observed magnitude is 5.8 (COBS).
Summary of key facts about Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) [tip: you can also create a Quick Access page for this data if you access it frequently and would like to have a simpler view]:
- C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change].
- It is visible looking in the North direction at an altitude of 2° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is easily visible with the help of a small binocular.
- See also C/2022 E3 (ZTF) rise and set times.
- Go to interactive sky chart
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Additional information about Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) available on TheSkyLive:
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) Position and Finder Charts
Below we provide Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) finder charts showing where the object is right now in the sky with respect to the brightest stars. The first finder chart has a field of view of 50 degrees, while the second one has a field of view of 10 degrees. Click on each finder chart to access a full screen interactive Online Planetarium.
Field of view: 50x30 degrees
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Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth is currently 50,705,914 kilometers, equivalent to 0.338948 Astronomical Units. Light takes 2 minutes and 49.1367 seconds to travel from Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest approach of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) to Earth
Between January 2013 and December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) to Earth happens on Thu Feb 2 2023 at a distance of 0.284031 Astronomical Units, or 42,490,414 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) brightness
The current visual magnitude of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is 8.39.
The observed magnitude and coma diameter values are derived from the Comet Observers Database by averaging the values reported in recent observations (more recent than 4 days), when available. The Estimated Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of comets. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Estimated Magnitude as a directional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet Observation Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table to report recent comet observations.
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) rise and set times
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is circumpolar and transits at 19:49 UTC (altitude: 78.6°)
The rise and set times are defined as the time at which the upper limb of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) touches the horizon, considering the effect of the atmospheric refraction. As the atmospheric conditions cannot be modeled precisely the times reported here should be considered correct with an approximation of few minutes.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) at epoch 13 August 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459805.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00027078 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 109.16842490° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.11222349 AU 166,386,266 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2023-Jan-12 18:51:43 2,459,957.2859 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 145.81586419901° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 302.55373400062° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.00056827755196226° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000374°/day |
Visualization of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
View Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Jan 31 | 08h 44m 21s | +79° 19’ 09” | 7.99 | Camelopardalis |
| 2023 Feb 01 | 07h 08m 00s | +75° 19’ 42” | 7.96 | Camelopardalis |
| 2023 Feb 02 | 06h 16m 23s | +69° 50’ 26” | 7.96 | Camelopardalis |
| 2023 Feb 03 | 05h 47m 14s | +63° 50’ 26” | 7.99 | Camelopardalis |
| 2023 Feb 04 | 05h 29m 09s | +57° 48’ 09” | 8.05 | Camelopardalis |
| 2023 Feb 05 | 05h 17m 03s | +51° 59’ 17” | 8.13 | Auriga |
| 2023 Feb 06 | 05h 08m 30s | +46° 32’ 57” | 8.23 | Auriga |
| 2023 Feb 07 | 05h 02m 09s | +41° 33’ 42” | 8.35 | Auriga |
| 2023 Feb 08 | 04h 57m 20s | +37° 03’ 01” | 8.47 | Auriga |
| 2023 Feb 09 | 04h 53m 34s | +33° 00’ 15” | 8.61 | Auriga |
| 2023 Feb 10 | 04h 50m 34s | +29° 23’ 36” | 8.74 | Taurus |
| 2023 Feb 11 | 04h 48m 09s | +26° 10’ 42” | 8.88 | Taurus |
| 2023 Feb 12 | 04h 46m 10s | +23° 18’ 57” | 9.02 | Taurus |
| 2023 Feb 13 | 04h 44m 32s | +20° 45’ 52” | 9.15 | Taurus |