A brilliant green comet has already produced some incredible images as it makes its closest approach to Earth next month.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered by astronomers at the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) at the Palomar Observatory in California in March 2022 when it was 399 million miles (643 million kilometers) from the sun, right in the orbit of Jupiter. The comet’s long orbital period (the time it takes to complete one orbit around the sun) means that C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has not been seen from Earth for about 50,000 years.
As the icy rover approaches perigee (its closest point to Earth) on February 2, astrophotographers around the world are capturing incredible images of the breathtaking green comet. One photo, submitted by Soumyadeep Mukherjee of Kolkata, India, depicts what the photographer calls “Three Days in the Life of a Comet,” spanning December 27 to December 29, 2022.
Related: Amazing photos of gorgeous green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) More: How to view and photograph comets
This complete image of Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF shows the comet over three nights from December 27 to December 29, 2022 by Soumyadeep Mukherjee in Kolkata, India. (Image: Soumyadeep Mukherjee)
Mukherjee captured the images using a Takahashi FSQ-106ED telescope and FLI PL16083 camera with Astrodon LRGB filters. Each of the three images combined to make “Three Days in the Life of a Comet” was taken with three 240-second exposures. Post-processing was performed with Pixinsight software.
The photos were taken at the IC Astronomical Observatory in Spain’s Tabernas Desert, an area that “has among the most clear nights in continental Europe,” according to the observatory’s website (opens in new tab). The observatory is part of Telescope Live (opens in a new tab), a global network of professional-grade robotic telescopes that can be “hired” for remote astronomy sessions.
Related: Green comet is a rare ‘messenger from the outer reaches of the solar system’
“The image captures the motion of comet C/2022 E3 ZTF over three days (December 27, 28 and 29, 2022) in the night sky,” Mukherjee told Space.com. “I am an amateur photographer from Kolkata, India. I have been photographing objects in the sky for the past 2 years.” More of Mukherjee’s astrophotography can be found on Instagram (opens in new tab).
Want to see Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) up close or take your own photos? Be sure to check out our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars to help you out. While you’re at it, brush up on our guides to the best astrophotography cameras and the best astrophotography lenses to get the best comet photos you can.
Editor’s note: If you take your own great photos of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and want to share them with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space. com.
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