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 13 [2]A deep starfield features an orange planet Mars on the left and a green-headed Comet ZTF on the right. In the foreground is a landscape that includes the top of a famous mountain known as the Matterhorn. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Comet ZTF and Mars Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Donato Lioce Explanation: No, Comet ZTF is not going to hit Mars. Nicknamed the Green Comet for its bright green coma, [4]C/2022 E3 (ZTF) did, however, [5]pass almost in front of the much-more [6]distant planet a few days ago, very near in time to when the featured picture was taken. The two sky icons were here captured behind a famous Earth icon -- the [7]Matterhorn, a mountain in the [8]Italian [9]Alps with a [10]picturesque peak. Both the foreground and background images were taken on the same evening by the same camera and from the same location. The comet's [11]white dust tail is visible to the right of the [12]green coma, while the light [13]blue ion tail trails towards the top of the image. [14]Orange Mars is well in front of the numerous background stars as well as the dark nebula [15]Barnard 22 to its lower right. Although Mars remains [16]visible in the evening sky for the next few months, [17]Comet ZTF has [18]already begun to fade as it returns to the outer [19]Solar System. Comet ZTF Gallery: [20]Notable Submissions to APOD Tomorrow's picture: heart and soul __________________________________________________________________ [21]< | [22]Archive | [23]Submissions | [24]Index | [25]Search | [26]Calendar | [27]RSS | [28]Education | [29]About APOD | [30]Discuss | [31]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell ([35]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [36]Specific rights apply. [37]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [38]ASD at [39]NASA / [40]GSFC, [41]NASA Science Activation & [42]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2302/CometZtfMars_Lioce_4229.jpg 3. https://www.instagram.com/donamour_photography/ 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2022_E3_(ZTF) 5. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/new-comet-might-get-bright-enough-for-binoculars/ 6. https://mars.nasa.gov/ 7. https://youtu.be/-W_nFlIAWFM 8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alps 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190124.html 11. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/C/cometary+dust+tail 12. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/07/science/why-comets-are-green.html 13. http://www2.ess.ucla.edu/~jewitt/tail.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180709.html 15. https://cosmic-colors.com/nebulae/barnard-22/ 16. https://youtu.be/hcgj6KsR-fc 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230131.html 18. https://i0.wp.com/mrfrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/MRFRS_SadCat.jpg?fit=1250%2C684&ssl=1 19. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/overview/ 20. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.172146088847310&type=3 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230212.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 30. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230213 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230214.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 38. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/ 40. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 41. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 42. http://www.mtu.edu/