Thanks so much, Bill. Great info!!
On Wed, Jan 25, 2023, 10:44 AM Bill steiner <acogbilly@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
We have a nice green comet that is making its closest approach to Earth in
the next two weeks.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is currently making its way through the northern
skies and should reach its brightest magnitude in early February, *according
to In-The-Sky.org* <https://in-the-sky.org/comets/20230201_CK22E030_2.png>
(opens in new tab) as it approaches perigee on Feb. 1. To see the comet
for yourself, look to the north just after sunset and look for a faint
greenish glow. Under the right dark sky conditions, the comet could be
visible to the unaided eye, but binoculars
<https://www.space.com/26021-best-binoculars.html> will certainly make
the job easier.
Bad weather in Asheville for the next 2-3 days and then the moon messes
things up until Feb 6. You could still see it before, but it won't be
much.
On Feb 6, the sun sets at 6 and the moon rises at 7. So from about 6:30
until 7, you should be able to see it well.
On Feb 7, the sun sets at 6 and the moon rises at 8. So you got an hour
and a half between 6:30 and 8. After that, the moon rises an hour later
each night so more viewing time.
BUT. After Feb 7, the comet is moving well past earth and it will begin
to get more dim.
So. The last and best shot is February 6 and 7.
A dark sky will help much. Peg and I are gonna scout out Cane River Park
near Burnsville some time this week. We'll get up there late and see how
many street lights are present.
more than you ever wanted to know. Pedantic Bill
