If you haven’t already had a chance to observe comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), according to Colin Caissie (who manages the Brower Observatory located on the Fergusson property in Whitefield), the best chance to spot the comet will be this coming Wednesday evening before the gibbous moon rises at 7:56 PM and interferes with the comet’s visibility. The comet is rather faint now (magnitude 8.57) and will be located just West of iota Aurigae in the Southeast and close to overhead, at an altitude of about 80°. Look for a small greenish fuzzy patch, with or without a tail. Sirius (the Dog Star) is the brightest star in the sky and it will be low on the southeastern horizon. You might also recognize Orion south of the comet’s location, and Castor and Pollux, the two bright stars in Gemini. Auriga is also a well known constellation, and Alpha Aurigae will be the brightest star in the sky at this time, close by just above and to the left (East) of the comet. Mars is just west and a little below the comet, it will be a reddish color, not blinking. The Pleiades will be a hand’s width to the West (right) and at about the same height. This is a marvelous section of sky, and the comet will be center stage.
The sky should be clear. Hopefully it will be! No need to worry about bugs this time of year. Dress warmly and have a pair of binoculars handy. The Sky Live website has a pretty good online chart you can look at; this link is for the Clary Lake area:
https://theskylive.com/planetarium?obj=c2022e3&date=2023-02-08&h=18&m=21
Leave a comment if you manage to see the comet!