How to see the ancient comet as it passes Earth this week
Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be at its closest to Earth, and therefor brightest, this week. The comet reaches its closest point to Earth Wednesday night into Thursday morning as it passes more than 20 million miles away.
With increasing cloudiness expected overnight and overcast conditions through midweek, Monday night may be your best opportunity to catch a glimpse of this comet that last passed through 50,000 years ago.
To spot the comet, look in the northern sky between the big and little dippers. You can use the two stars in the outer bowl of both dippers to draw imaginary lines. The comet is just above the intersection of those two lines tonight.
The comet is still very dim so you'll need a pair of binoculars or small telescope and darker skies than the suburbs offer. it will be a little higher in the sky, roughly along the line formed from the little dipper each night this week.
While you are outside, don't miss Mars and the Moon. If you look several times between 11 pm and 2 am, you'll be able to see the Moon's movement against Mars, which is another 80 million miles away.
Mars will appear even closer for observers south of a line extending from central California to southern Georgia where a lunar occultation will be visible as the Moon moves in front of Mars, hiding it from view for about 45 minutes.
