Adrian Dening's Stars Over Somerset

Monday 13th to Sunday 19th February 2023

Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF features in a lot of astronomy reports. More recently it has been visible to the naked eye.......in theory at least! Observers have had mixed success spotting it as, not only is the comet quite difficult to locate in the night sky, but the amount of light pollution in your area and atmospheric disturbance can make viewing a challenge.

Your best bet will be on the evening of Tuesday 14th when the comet will be slightly to the left of the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus. It should have a magnitude of around +6.0 so I would dig out those binoculars or telescope for a greater chance of success.

If you venture outside after your Valentine's Day dinner, around 10pm, Aldebaran will be towards the west, halfway between the constellation of Orion and the Pleiades open cluster of stars, a little below planet Mars.

For early risers, a Crescent Moon appears above the south east horizon a little before 6am on Thursday 16th. The Moon's "libration" or "wobble" means that the western limb of its surface is tilted slightly towards us which is an ideal time to spot some of the features right on the western edge like the Mare Orientale.

Friday 17th is the date for the last of my astronomy evenings at the Ham Hill Visitor Centre, starting with a talk about the night sky at 7pm, followed by a star party if the weather is favourable. A few spaces are still available and you can book via the visitsouthsomerset.com website under the Ham Hill tab.

Screenshots courtesy of Stellarium
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