Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Comet ZTF and Mars

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 13, 2023 is “Comet ZTF and Mars,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Donato Lioce). The original explanation runs about 185 words.

A deep starfield features an orange planet Mars on the left and a green-headed Comet ZTF on the right. In the foreground is a landscape that includes the top of a famous mountain known as the Matterhorn. Please see the explanation for more
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Donato Lioce Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“No, Comet ZTF is not going to hit Mars. Nicknamed the Green Comet for its bright green coma, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) did, however, pass almost in front of the much-more distant planet a few days ago, very near in time to when the featured picture was taken.”

— APOD editors, February 13, 2023

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
February 13, 2023
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Donato Lioce
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 185 words

All of February 2023 → · 2023 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

MarsComets

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: February 13 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.