More opportunities to view green comet this week

Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) will be passing by some other objects up in the sky this week.
Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) will be passing by some other objects up in the sky this week.(WHSV)
Published: Feb. 6, 2023 at 12:00 AM EST|Updated: Feb. 6, 2023 at 12:14 AM EST
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(WHSV) - This week up in the sky the rare green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be passing by some other bodies in space, which will make for more good opportunities to view the comet if you haven’t already.

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) PASSES CLOSE TO HOEDUS I & II

While the rare green comet is becoming harder to view, it will pass by the stars Hoedus I and II on Monday evening. If you have a backyard telescope, you can aim it at the star and see the greenish comet in the same field of view. The comet will pass these stars around 9:15 pm. The first thing you’ll want to do is try and catch the comet with binoculars. Once you have found it, you can then aim a telescope and cut out the two stars from the lens to see the comet better. The comet will be in the west-northwestern sky at that time.

Look to the WNW around 9:15 pm as Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) will be close to the stars Hoedus I and II
Look to the WNW around 9:15 pm as Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) will be close to the stars Hoedus I and II(WHSV)

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) PASSES CLOSE TO MARS

On Friday night, the green comet will be approaching Mars. The pair will be in the west-southwestern sky. The green comet will not reach its closest point to Mars until after Mars sets in the sky very early Saturday morning. Still, you could use Mars as a reference point to view the green comet with binoculars or a telescope when it is still in the sky Friday night.

Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) will be near Mars Friday night
Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) will be near Mars Friday night(WHSV)

GAINING DAYLIGHT

This week, we will gain 16 minutes of daylight. By February 13th, we will have 10 hours and 43 minutes of daylight and 13 hours and 17 minutes of nighttime. Sunrises will move from 7:16 am to 7:08 am and sunsets will move from 5:43 pm to 5:51 pm.

Daily Sunrise/Sunset Times this week:

DateSunriseSunsetDaylight
Feb 67:16 am5:43 pm10 hrs, 27 mins
Feb 77:15 am5:44 pm10 hrs, 29 mins
Feb 87:14 am5:45 pm10 hrs, 31 mins
Feb 97:13 am5:46 pm10 hrs, 33 mins
Feb 107:12 am5:47 pm10 hrs, 35 mins
Feb 117:10 am5:48 pm10 hrs, 38 mins
Feb 127:09 am5:50 pm10 hrs, 41 mins

ISS VIEWING (MOST VIEWABLE)

There are no viewing opportunities for the International Space Station this week as the station will only pass during the daytime. The next viewing opportunity comes February 15th.

NEXT MOON PHASES

Moon PhasesDate and Time
Third Quarter MoonFebruary 13th, 11:00 am
New MoonFebruary 20th, 2:05 am
First Quarter MoonFebruary 27th, 3:05 am
Full MoonMarch 7th, 7:40 am

CURRENT PLANET VIEWING OPPORTUNITIES

Venus: In the west-southwestern sky at sunset, limited viewing, sets in the west by 8 pm

Mars: In the east-southeastern sky at sunset, visible most of the night, sets in the northwest just after 3 am

Jupiter: In the southwestern sky at sunset, sets around 9:30 pm in the west

Saturn: In the west-southwestern sky at sunset, very limited viewing, sets in the western sky just after 6 pm

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