Comet C/2022 E3 spotted in the UAE

Dubai: The Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG) organised an event for the rare celestial of Comet C/2022 E3 passing Earth on February 4.

Discovered by astronomers using the Zwicky Transient Facility’s wide-field survey camera in early March last year, the comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has been dazzling researchers with its impressive brightness.

Also, read – A partial solar eclipse to be seen in the UAE, here’s where and how to observe it

The comet is currently making its way across the northern constellation Corona Borealis in the predawn sky, though it is still too dim to be seen without a telescope.

While it may not be visible to the naked eye images captured by telescopes show how the comet’s striking greenish coma, short dust tail, and long, faint ion tail stretch across a 2.5-degree field of view.

Though the brightness of comets can be difficult to predict, it is possible that by then C/2022 E3 (ZTF) may be visible to the naked eye in dark night skies.

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has favourable geometry with respect to Earth. Normally, a comet will pass near the sun’s vicinity, and the elongation, which is the angle in degrees between the sun and the comet as seen from Earth, grows small and the comet disappears in the sun’s glare for a few weeks. Not this one, though! In contrast, it stays in the dark sky for most of its trip through the inner solar system.

Moreover, the tilt of the orbit relative to our path around the sun is steep and retrograde, meaning the comet goes around the sun in the opposite direction than the planets. As a result, this means it will, at some point, move quickly through our sky.

To begin with, the comet entered our solar system from the north, and on February 12, 2023, passes to the south of our orbital plane.

The event program included an introduction, a talk on observing the comet, and an observation of the comet itself. There will also be a session on Arabian Astronomy, sky mapping, and a Q&A session. Telescopes will be available throughout the evening for viewing Jupiter, Mars, the Moon, and other deep-sky objects, as well as an opportunity to take photographs of celestial objects through the telescopes.

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