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Need help identifying object near comet C/2022 E3 ZTF

Comet Help Needed
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bluespeck avatar
bluespeck avatar
All all.  I am looking for some identification assistance.The attached image of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was captured on February 11, 2023 (21:30 EST). Mars can be seen in the image about 1.5 degrees below and to the right of the comet. About 0.75 degrees further along the same trajectory is another object that I haven’t been able to identify.At first I thought that it might be comet C/2022 U2 (Atlas) but it would have been further away near IC405 (Flaming Star nebula), then I wondered if it might be IC 2087 (Little Flame Nebula) but I think that it would be a little further down.Does anyone know what it is? Could it be another comet which I haven’t identified yet or could it simply be a digital artifact?

Thanks.
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Christoph Lichtblau avatar
Christoph Lichtblau avatar
It,s surely an reflection of Mars in your optical system.
bluespeck avatar
bluespeck avatar
@Christoph Lichtblau Thanks Christoph. That makes sense. Thinking about it in hindsight and based on how bright it appeared in the image, it no doubt would have been visible to the naked eye had it been a comet or something else real.
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