优胜美地瀑布上空的ZTF彗星

2023年2月21日

Comet ZTF over Yosemite Falls
Image Credit & Copyright: Tara Mostofi

Explanation: They are both falling. The water in Yosemite Falls, California, USA, is falling toward the Earth. Comet ZTF is falling toward the Sun. This double cosmic cascade was captured late last month as fading Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) had just passed its closest to planet Earth. The orange star just over the falls is Kochab. With the exception of a brief encounter with a black bear, the featured image was a well-planned composite of a moonlit-foreground and long-duration background exposures – all designed to reconstruct a deep version of an actual single sight. Although Comet ZTF is now fading as it glides back to the outer Solar System, its path is determined by gravity and so it can be considered to still be falling toward the Sun — but backwards.

Comet ZTF Gallery: Notable Submissions to APOD

Tomorrow’s picture: a surprisingly busy sun

优胜美地瀑布上空的ZTF彗星
图像提供与版权: Tara Mostofi

说明: 它们都在下坠。美国加州优胜美地瀑布的水正落向地球，而ZTF彗星则落向太阳。这个宇宙双串级事件，记录于上个月底，时值变暗的彗星C/2022 E3（ZTF）刚通过它离地球最近的位置。瀑布上方的橙红亮星为北极二（帝Kochab）。除了与黑熊短暂的偶遇之外，这幅主题图像是精心规划下的产物，整合了月耀的前景及多张长曝光背景照片，以建构肉眼实际所见的景物之大动态范围版本。尽管ZTF彗星目前在返回太阳系外围并逐渐变暗，但它的路径是由重力所定，因此仍然可以视为是倒退着掉向太阳。

彗星ZTF画廊: 提交给APOD的值得注意的作品

明日的图片: a surprisingly busy sun