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 Comet Pan STARR visible in the northern hemisphere		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5430 Posts
Initially Posted - 03/12/2013 :  17:35:14  Show Profile
In just the past few days, comet Pan STARR has appeared after sunset in western skies around the world in the northern hemisphere. It has been a mainstay for a few weeks down under but is now viewable as a naked eye object at around +2 magnitude (brightness). It will continue to ascend for awhile but as it moves away from the sun will dim. For a series of photographs please see the following website:
http://spaceweather.com/gallery/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=77375
Be sure to view a number of the photos and you'll see a little ball with a tail pointing toward 10 o'clock.
I have not been able to see much as we've had cloudy skies for a few days here but observations include Bogota Colombia, Las Vegas, Gran Canary Island, New York City New Jersey and elsewhere.
Check it out.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts
Response Posted - 03/13/2013 :  10:38:49  Show Profile
Here's a series of stills that makes a [url="http://vimeo.com/61596987"]movie of comet PanSTARR[/url]

I'm gonna look for it at sunset tonight!
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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts
Response Posted - 03/13/2013 :  14:38:12  Show Profile  Visit delliottg's Homepage
Looked for it the first couple of days it was supposed to be visible in the northern hemisphere, but no dice, too low on the horizon. Since then it's been rainy & nasty, so I'm unlikely to get to see it (which doesn't stop me each evening from looking).
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Voyager
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USA
5430 Posts
Response Posted - 03/15/2013 :  06:25:46  Show Profile
Caught a glimpse last eve. I looked below the crescent moon right after sunset -didn't see anything. Then I got my camera and set it to a 2s exposure time and varied the f-stop. I got it in a photo so then knew where to look. I stared and stared and then it seemed to materialize out of the growing darkness.
According to spaceweather.com it ought to get higher and brighter in the coming week. Keep an eye out.
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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts
Response Posted - 03/15/2013 :  19:32:57  Show Profile
It will actually get dimmer. I managed to tease it out of the background tonight. With averted vision and a prediction of its location I saw it for less than a second several times. I carefully monitored the descendind spot with binoculars as dusk progressed and was rewarded with confirmation for nearly a minute before it faded into the sea haze. Peak brightness was probably last night when it was about the same as Polaris. The challenge is that you look at Polaris against a very dark sky with dark adapted eyes instead of extracting that same brightness out of twilight. We can hope that Ison will be better.
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
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Response Posted - 03/16/2013 :  17:31:55  Show Profile
Dave
There's a NASA YouTube video available about PanSTARRS.
I'd read earlier this year about ISON, but the word was that visibility of the comet would be iffy.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts
Response Posted - 03/16/2013 :  18:56:17  Show Profile
Yes, I checked that out from a reference in Sky&Telescope. We don't really understand the physics and composition of comets well enough to predict the show with any reliability. Astronomers got burned with the hype about Kohoutek a few years ago and are more cautious about what they say to the media now. Wait and see is the best approach to comets.
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.