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/