2013 - The Year of the Comet

knapplc

knapplc

International Man of Mystery
Looks like we might be in for a couple of treats this year - those of us who are star gazers, anyway.

A comet that shines as brightly as the stars of the Big Dipper could be heading our way in March, scientists say.
After a long journey from the outer reaches of the solar system, the Comet Pan-STARRS is expected to whiz by about 100 million miles from Earth, skimming the orbit of Mercury, early next month.

The comet could fail to put on a dazzling show if it falls apart under the intense heat and gravitational pull of its plunge toward the sun. But if it survives, Comet Pan-STARRS might send an amazing stream of gas and dust into the night sky, according to scientists with NASA and other observatories.

"Because of its small distance from the sun, Pan-STARRS should be very active, producing a lot of dust and therefore a nice dust tail," astronomer Matthew Knight of the Lowell Observatory in Arizona said in a statement.
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How to see Pan-STARRS:

comet-panstarrs-march-2013.jpg


Astronomers are also keeping an eye on another sun-grazing comet that could shine as bright as the moon and may even be visible in broad daylight later this year. If it delivers on its promise, the Comet ISON is expected to peak in late November.
"Two bright comets in one year is a rare treat," Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab said in a statement. "This could be good."
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SOURCE

 
Has anyone gone out to see Pan-STARRS yet? I went out last night and found it. It was pretty underwhelming. There was a better comet about five years ago or so, and another better one around 10-12 years ago.

Pan-STARRS is difficult to see. I couldn't see it with the naked eye. I had to use binoculars, and even then it was just a little smudge across the sky. It was more of a traditional-looking comet with the coma and the tail, but otherwise it was pretty blah.

 
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