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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Polaris and the Trail of Comet ZTF
APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 3 Feb, 2023 | Image Credit & Copyright: David Ibarra Gomez

Posted on 02/03/2023 12:05:30 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Stars trace concentric arcs around the North Celestial Pole in this three hour long night sky composite, recorded with a digital camera fixed to a tripod on January 31, near Γ€ger, Lleida, Spain. On that date Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was near its northernmost declination in planet Earth's sky. That put the comet about 10 degrees from Earth's North Celestial Pole making the comet's position 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. 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 mostly reflecting Earth's 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.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: nasa
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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 02/03/2023 12:05:30 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 02/03/2023 12:05:47 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; America_Right; AZ .44 MAG; ...
Pinging the APOD list.

πŸͺ 🌟 🌌 πŸ”


3 posted on 02/03/2023 12:06:40 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Some of my old LPs ended up like that.


4 posted on 02/03/2023 12:16:46 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: MtnClimber

5 posted on 02/03/2023 12:42:55 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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Hang on it will be here soon.

6 posted on 02/03/2023 12:46:32 PM PST by deport
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