Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 January 9 [2]New Comet ZTF is pictured sporting three tails in front of a background of stars. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Tails of Comet ZTF Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Jose Francisco Hernández Explanation: Comet ZTF may become visible to the unaided eye. Discovered early last year, [4]this massive snowball has been brightening as it approaches the Sun and the Earth. [5]C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be closest to the Sun later this week, at which time it [6]may become visible even without binoculars to northern observers with a clear and dark sky. As they near the Sun, comet brightnesses are [7]notoriously hard to predict, though. In the featured image taken last week in front of a [8]picturesque star field, three blue [9]ion tails extend to the upper right, likely the result of a variable [10]solar wind on [11]ions ejected by the icy [12]comet nucleus. [13]The comet's white [14]dust tail is visible to the upper left and much shorter. The [15]green glow is the comet's coma, caused by glowing carbon gas. [16]Comet ZTF is expected to pass nearest the Earth in early February, after which it should dim dramatically. Discovery + Outreach: [17]Graduate student research position open for APOD Tomorrow's picture: interstellar cone __________________________________________________________________ [18]< | [19]Archive | [20]Submissions | [21]Index | [22]Search | [23]Calendar | [24]RSS | [25]Education | [26]About APOD | [27]Discuss | [28]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell ([32]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [33]Specific rights apply. [34]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [35]ASD at [36]NASA / [37]GSFC, [38]NASA Science Activation & [39]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2301/CometZtf_Hernandez_1395.jpg 3. https://altamiraobs.org.es/ 4. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/ 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2022_E3_(ZTF) 6. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/new-comet-might-get-bright-enough-for-binoculars/ 7. https://i.redd.it/q065n6zy2r401.jpg 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191013.html 9. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comets/en/anatomy-of-a-comet.en.jpg 10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/2288/the-solar-wind-across-our-solar-system/ 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion 12. https://www.cometcampaign.org/files/images/comets_spacecraft.jpg 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221224.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200712.html 15. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/07/science/why-comets-are-green.html 16. https://theskylive.com/c2022e3-info 17. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=42847 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230108.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 27. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230109 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230110.html 29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 35. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 36. https://www.nasa.gov/ 37. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 38. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 39. http://www.mtu.edu/