远去的ZTF彗星

2023年3月24日

Outbound Comet ZTF
Image Credit & Copyright: Rolando Ligustri

Explanation: Former darling of the northern sky Comet C/2022E3 (ZTF) has faded. During its closest approach to our fair planet in early February Comet ZTF was a mere 2.3 light-minutes distant. Then known as the green comet, this visitor from the remote Oort Cloud is now nearly 13.3 light-minutes away. In this deep image, composed of exposures captured on March 21, the comet still sports a broad, whitish dust tail and greenish tinted coma though. Not far on the sky from Orion’s bright star Rigel, Comet ZTF shares the field of view with faint, dusty nebulae and distant background galaxies. The telephoto frame is crowded with Milky Way stars toward the constellation Eridanus. The influence of Jupiter’s gravity on the comet’s orbit as ZTF headed for the inner solar system, may have set the comet on an outbound journey, never to return.

Tomorrow’s picture: light-weekend

远去的ZTF彗星
图像提供与版权: Rolando Ligustri

说明: 北半球天空先前的宠儿彗星C/2022E3（ZTF）已变暗。在今年2月初最接近地球时，ZTF彗星距离我们只有2.3光分。这颗当时称为绿色彗星、来自遥远欧特云的访客，现在距离我们将近有13.3光分。在这幅由摄于3月21日的数张深空照片组合而成的图像里，这颗彗星依然曳着宽阔的泛白尘尾和泛绿的彗发。在这片离猎户座亮星参宿七不远的视野里，ZTF彗星与暗淡的星云及遥远背景星系共享这片天空。此外，这片长焦镜头视野满布着波江座方向的银河繁星。当ZTF彗星造访太阳系内围时，其轨道受到木星重力的扰动，因此这颗远去的彗星或许永不复返。

明日的图片: light-weekend