On the nights of Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, it can be conveniently found passing several degrees to the east of the bowl of the Little Dipper. (Don't miss our gallery of amazing comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) photos by skywatchers while you search. The year is off to a great start for comet hunters, as what could be the best comet of 2023 is now set to take center stage in January and February. We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 (opens in new tab) as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide. -January 3rd: The Quadrantid meteor shower occurs near New Moon . From then onward, its movement against the background stars will progressively increase westward as it approaches the Earth. The comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) could be bright enough to be spotted with the naked eye as it passes the sun and Earth at the end of the first month of 2023. This means that, on average, a major comet arrives every five to 10 years. (Note thatC/2022 E3wont be very high in the sky at this point, so youll want to get yourself to high ground and opt for a viewing location with a clear view of the northeastern horizon. 10 Must-See Sky Events In 2023, From Rare Eclipses To A New Bright Comet The most spectacular comets are dusty and can produce long, bright tails making them awesome and impressive celestial spectacles. Too many astronomers stood outdoors at public star parties that year, trying to show a disappointed public a difficult-to-see comet. Tracked for 90 minutes (180s subs) with my Redcat 71 and ASI6200MC. This has led to them swelling out to around 10 times the size of the sun. Science news, great photos, sky alerts. SpaceX Dragon debris lights up sky in bright fireball over western US during reentry (video), SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket aborts triple satellite launch at last minute. Some astronomers say yes, and are trying to preserve it, James Webb Space Telescope reveals some of the oldest stars in our universe, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. This positioning only allows these meteors to be seen on the morning side of Earth. Related:Amazing photos of the green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) Looking for a telescope to see comet C/2022 E3 ZTF? Watch the green comet pass the bright star Capella on Sunday (Feb. 5) This NASA chart shows the orbital path of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) at closest approach. Hale-Bopp had a long tail, up to 30 degrees long, but what was visible and bright was relatively a short tail, less than 10 degrees long, for nearly its entire period of visibility. It will arrive at new phase on Jan. 21. Additionally, University of Toronto astrophysicist Hanno Rein has created a free app (opens in new tab) available on the Apple app store dedicated entirely to locating and tracking comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). The viewing geometry is almost identical to that of the return in 1990 (no. C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is a comet from the Oort cloud discovered by ATLAS South Africa on 22 February 2023 and independently found in images by the Purple Mountain Observatory taken on 9 January 2023.