Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is a long period comet that was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) on March 2 March 2022. It made its close approach to the Sun during January 2023, becoming quite bright and an easy observation target. This comet has a near-parabolic orbit with a perihelion distance of 1.11 astronomical units and an aphelion distance estimated to be about 2800 AU. After the perihelion passage the comet is now becoming fainter as it is moving away from the sun towards the external solar system.
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is in the constellation of
Eridanus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
The observed values of Magnitude, Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted Magnitude as a directional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet Observation Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table to report recent comet observations.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Today Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is not visible from Greenwich, UK
- C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) to Earth happens on Thu Feb 2 2023 at a distance of 0.284064 Astronomical Units, or 42,495,383 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) at epoch 20 October 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459873.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00030190 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 109.16948022° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.11224437 AU 166,389,390 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2023-Jan-12 18:50:41 2,459,957.2852 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 145.81492866851° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 302.55501922358° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.00036928712667236° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000441°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Apr 02 | 02h 22m 45s | -53° 18’ 51” | 19.78 | Horologium |
| 2025 Apr 03 | 02h 23m 15s | -53° 15’ 57” | 19.78 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 04 | 02h 23m 46s | -53° 13’ 07” | 19.78 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 05 | 02h 24m 18s | -53° 10’ 24” | 19.79 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 06 | 02h 24m 49s | -53° 07’ 45” | 19.79 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 07 | 02h 25m 20s | -53° 05’ 11” | 19.79 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 08 | 02h 25m 51s | -53° 02’ 43” | 19.80 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 09 | 02h 26m 23s | -53° 00’ 20” | 19.80 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 10 | 02h 26m 55s | -52° 58’ 01” | 19.80 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 11 | 02h 27m 27s | -52° 55’ 48” | 19.81 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 12 | 02h 27m 59s | -52° 53’ 40” | 19.81 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 13 | 02h 28m 31s | -52° 51’ 37” | 19.81 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 14 | 02h 29m 04s | -52° 49’ 40” | 19.82 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Apr 15 | 02h 29m 36s | -52° 47’ 48” | 19.82 | Eridanus |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.