Comet PanSTARRS to make an appearance in March 2013

[Mark]

January 26, 2013 – SPACE - INCOMING COMET: In little more than a month, Comet PanSTARRS will cross the orbit of Mercury and probably brighten to naked-eye visibility as it absorbs the heat of the nearby sun. Sky watchers around the world will be looking for it in the sunset skies of early March, when it passes closest to the sun and to Earth. Until then a telescope is required; here is the view last night through a 0.3-meter-diameter reflector in Argentina: A team of astronomers led by Martin Masek took the picture using the remotely-controlled F(/Ph)otometric Robotic Atmospheric Monitor—“FRAM” for short. “The stars are trailed in this 9x120s exposure, which tracked the comet,” explains Masel. Currently, the comet ranks about 8th magnitude, dimmer than the human eye can see, but it could brighten 100-fold on March 10th when it makes its closest approach to the sun (0.3 AU). The latest curves suggest that PanSTARRS will emerge glowing about as brightly as a 3rd magnitude star, similar to the stars in the Big Dipper. There might, however, be surprises in store. Comet PanSTARRS has never been to inner solar system before. It is falling in from the Oort cloud, a great swarm of comets beyond Neptune and Pluto unaltered by the warmth of the sun. When Comet PanSTARRS dips it toe inside the orbit of Mercury for the first time, almost anything could happen ranging from an anticlimatic “bake-out” to a spectacular disruption. –Space Weather

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[Mark]

March 4, 2013 – SPACE – Bright Comet Pan-Starrs (C/2011 L4) is now inside the orbit of Mercury, brightening as it plunges toward the sun. Observers in the southern hemisphere report say they can see Pan-STARRS with the unaided eye in the evening sunset sky. Carl Gruber photographed the comet on March 2nd over the city lights of Melbourne, Australia: “Despite bad light and smog pollution, the comet’s nucleus was clearly visible to the naked eye as well as a small part of the tail,” says Gruber. Light curves show the comet is approaching 2nd magnitude, about as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper. Several important dates are approaching. On March 5th, Comet Pan-STARRS makes its closest approach to Earth (1.09 AU), followed on March 10th by its closest approach to the sun (0.3 AU). As Comet Pan-STARRS passes the sun, solar glare will make it difficult to see even as the nucleus vaporizes and brightens. By March 12th and 13th, the comet will reappear in the sunset skies of the northern hemisphere not far from the crescent Moon. –Space Weather

[Deano]

Have been trying to catch a glimpse of this, but low cloud on the horizon is my enemy.

[Suezy]

Very low cloud here too unfortunately. Anytime things are interesting - we seem ato have low cloud.
Got a beaut photo of the eclipse that son took and its wonderful - taken with a sun filter on it and the sun is white and shows off the mountains of the moon which is black.  Going to do a poster of it for him as very effective.

[gabba]

Took my 6yo out last night to see it, but had no luck. Went all along the Wellington South coast, but nothing, so it was a long trip for her late at night. Will try and see if we can have another go at the weekend

[Deano]

Andrew, it is getting very low on the horizon now. In 4 days it will be gone.
Hopefully this image will assist you. Location is set for Wellington for you.
The tail as seen is not as big as you will see it. This a fault in my astronomy software.

[gabba]

Thanks for that - it should help alot. There are people reporting seeing it from Eastbourne which surprises me a bit. We can see tight out towards the west but there is a large hill in the way so I suspect it's now too low for us to see from home.

We'll have another go tomorrow night if the weather is clear. I'd like to get a few photos of it.

I did have a useful conversation about relativity with my 6yo last night so it wasn't a wasted trip. She was convinced that everything revolved around the earth, but then I asked her why and she said it was because she saw everything on earth not moving, but the sun moving. I then asked her what it would look like if everything moved at the same speed as she was, and there was a pause, and then a big chuckle. She obviously didn't completely get it, but at least it made her think!

Thanks again

[Deano]

Here is a great shot from Nasa APOD showing Comets Lemmon and PanSTARRS in 1 frame.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130305.html

[iomkiwi]

And here's a gif to send your daughter into a spin Gabba.

What our Solar System looks like from a “non-fixed,” view of the sun

[Deano]

What a great view that is Alan.