Magnificent sketch of our comet, Darren!! You might email it to me privately for the next issue of Orbit - if you wish to.  And if so, I wonder if you could give a designation of the brightest star which you have positioned at 5 o'clock. I can do the rest.  Very best regards from Aubrey.     ..read more

Hello everyone, Delighted to read several of us have bagged this once in a lifetime comet. As you've said Aubrey it is very high inthe sky tonight. Despite having the Dob it was tough to locate in the finder scope. But armed with a map (thanks for the suggestion) I did find it and observed it for approximately 45minutes tonight. Averted vision enhanced the view of C/2022 E3 (ZTF), but no colour was detected. Having found the comet I called my wife to have a look at it, but she was more impressed with the constellation of Orion : ) Shortly after she went back inside, I completed a quick ..read more

Hi Marios, This is an excellent sketch of the comet - very well done! Clear skeis, Darren ..read more

Hi Aubrey, Very many thanks for clarifying what the term 'relfix' means - that's much appreciated! Clear skies, Darren ..read more

I would say Bortle 3 Aubrey, although tending towards 4 as the light from Limerick city encroaches ever more into the northern sky. Towns like Charleville, Kilmallock and Mitchelstown are also having an impact. Gigantic security lights seem to be a feature of every new house that goes up. I mean to get down to Kerry during the summer and see what the difference is. Finbarr ..read more

Hello all, Another souvenir from our solar system, comet C2022 E3 ZTF. Light pollution that night, i was unfortunately unable to observe details such as color, shape, etc. A beautiful white patch with a bright dot in the center. Thanks for looking   ..read more

On another issue, I firmly believe that one needs to print off a map to have any hope of finding the comet.   That's disappointing to hear Aubrey, as I think it gives another idea of the difference between urban and rural skies, and what you have to put up with there in terms of light pollution. The comet was effortless from here through 20 x 80 binoculars last Friday. Clear skies, Finbarr ..read more

I see on the 2023 Celestial Calendar that members of the Irish Astronomical Society receive that Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be passing near the 1st magnitude star Capella (Alpha Aurigae) on Sunday night (5th February).  Of course reflectors will have a better time than refractors locating the pair, because both objects are at the zenith.  I wonder what the weather forecast is.  On another issue, I firmly believe that one needs to print off a map to have any hope of finding the comet.   Clear skies from Aubrey.  ..read more

Excellent to hear from you again, Darren, and from anyone else here on my favourite astronomy website!.  I'm admiring that word "chattering".  It has been many years since I heard it.  Yes. Well - "relfix" simply means the 2 stars are travelling through space together,  They are not orbiting one another at all.  They are like 2 cars travelling side by side on a dual carriageway.  One star is probably travelling faster that the other.  So the separation will increase or decrease over time.  Clear skies from Aubrey.   ..read more

Hello everyone.  Before I successfully observed Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF on Tuesday night 31st January 2023, I had a reasonably good time observing Jupiter with my William Optics 158mm f/7 apochromatic refractor before and after sunset – even though there were strong 30 km/h winds. Sunset happened at 17.05UT. I found Jupiter at 15.50UT at 11x with my William Optics 70mm f/6 small apochromatic refractor. That’s 1 hour 15 minutes before sunset! I don’t believe I have ever seen Jupiter so early before. I just had to memorise its rough position over a neighbour’s house from previous times. Jupite ..read more