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 February 3 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Polaris and the Trail of Comet ZTF Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]David Ibarra Gomez Explanation: [5]Stars trace concentric arcs around the North Celestial Pole in this [6]three hour long night sky composite, recorded with a digital camera fixed to a tripod on January 31, near Ąger, Lleida, Spain. On that date [7]Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was near its northernmost declination in [8]planet Earth's sky. That put the comet about 10 degrees from Earth's North Celestial Pole making the comet's position [9]circumpolar, always above the horizon, from all locations on planet Earth at more than 10 degrees northern latitude. In the startrail image, the extension of Earth's axis of rotation into space is at the left. [10]North star Polaris traces the short, bright, concentric arc less than a degree from the North Celestial Pole. The trail of Comet ZTF is indicated at the right, its apparent motion [11]mostly reflecting Earth's [12]rotation like the stars. But heading for its closest approach to planet Earth on February 1, the comet is also moving significantly with respect to the background stars. The diffuse greenish trail of Comet ZTF is an almost concentric arc mingled with startrails as it sweeps through the long-necked constellation Camelopardalis. Tomorrow's picture: light-weekend __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC, [33]NASA Science Activation & [34]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2302/C2022E3(ZTF)Circumpolarv2comentada.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://twitter.com/David_Barracuda 5. https://www.astrobin.com/7b5ifq/ 6. https://twitter.com/David_Barracuda/status/1621022440565657601/photo/1 7. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/spot-circumpolar-comet-ztf-c-2022-e3-in-binoculars/?utm_source=cc&utm_medium=newsletter 8. https://www.petrhoralek.com/?p=23393 9. https://earthsky.org/tonight/circumpolar-stars-dont-rise-or-set/ 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110514.html 11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzrLarAopXA 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070519.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230202.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230203 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230204.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/ 32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 34. http://www.mtu.edu/