Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is a long period comet that was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) on March 2 March 2022. It made its close approach to the Sun during January 2023, becoming quite bright and an easy observation target. This comet has a near-parabolic orbit with a perihelion distance of 1.11 astronomical units and an aphelion distance estimated to be about 2800 AU. After the perihelion passage the comet is now becoming fainter as it is moving away from the sun towards the external solar system.
Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is in the constellation of Horologium, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
The observed values of Magnitude, Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted 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.
Rise and Set Times
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Antequera MA (ES) (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/Madrid):
Antequera MA (ES)Today comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is not visible from
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Distance from Earth
The distance of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
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 tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) to Earth happened on Thursday 2 February 2023 at a distance of 0.284064 Astronomical Units, or 42,495,383 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) at epoch October, 20 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459873.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00030190 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 109.16948022° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.11224437 AU 166,389,390 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | January 12, 2023 2,459,957.2852 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 145.81492866851° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 302.55501922358° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.00036928712667236° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000441°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
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. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 05 2025 | 03h 08m 23s | -55° 13’ 13” | 19.98 | Horologium |
| Jul 06 2025 | 03h 08m 39s | -55° 18’ 21” | 19.98 | Horologium |
| Jul 07 2025 | 03h 08m 56s | -55° 23’ 34” | 19.99 | Horologium |
| Jul 08 2025 | 03h 09m 11s | -55° 28’ 50” | 19.99 | Horologium |
| Jul 09 2025 | 03h 09m 25s | -55° 34’ 10” | 19.99 | Horologium |
| Jul 10 2025 | 03h 09m 40s | -55° 39’ 32” | 19.99 | Horologium |
| Jul 11 2025 | 03h 09m 54s | -55° 44’ 59” | 19.99 | Horologium |
| Jul 12 2025 | 03h 10m 07s | -55° 50’ 29” | 19.99 | Horologium |
| Jul 13 2025 | 03h 10m 20s | -55° 56’ 02” | 20.00 | Horologium |
| Jul 14 2025 | 03h 10m 33s | -56° 01’ 39” | 20.00 | Horologium |
| Jul 15 2025 | 03h 10m 44s | -56° 07’ 19” | 20.00 | Horologium |
| Jul 16 2025 | 03h 10m 55s | -56° 13’ 02” | 20.00 | Horologium |
| Jul 17 2025 | 03h 11m 05s | -56° 18’ 47” | 20.00 | Horologium |
| Jul 18 2025 | 03h 11m 15s | -56° 24’ 37” | 20.00 | Horologium |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)?: Key information on where to find comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the sky.
- Distance of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth: Find out how far comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)'s position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) with respect to the major Solar System objects.