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
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply.
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                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/