Post by touched on Oct 19, 2012 22:17:23 GMT -6

In March of 2013 a very bright comet may become a beautiful spectacle in the sky for Northern Hemisphere observers.

It is expected to be a great comet of -1 mag in 2013 spring. Right now it is 11.5 mag. This comet is Brightening faster than originally expected. It will be unobservable soon in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, it stays unobservable for a long time until 2013 March, when the comet will appear as a 0-mag great comet. It should be quite bright even to the unaided eye. Binoculars will bring out even more detail.

Next year may be the best year ever for comets. Later on towards the end of 2013 , the brightest comet ever is expected to display itself and put on a show like no other ever has ! A post was made here recently about it. That comets name is ISON .

This is really cool ! Remember though that comets can be unpredictable. They both may not live up to their expectations as some have not in the past but they also sometimes get even brighter. We shall see.

A newfound comet discovered by astronomers using a telescope in Hawaii will swing through the inner solar system in 2013, with some astronomers and skywatchers hoping for a cosmic spectacle when it arrives.

The comet is C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), an object named after the asteroid-hunting Pan-STARRS 1 telescope that detected the icy wanderer during the overnight hours of June 5 and 6.

Since the comet's discovery, hopes have risen that this "dirty snowball" presently heading sunward from the depths of the solar system could evolve into a memorable sight. Indeed, some forecasters have already suggested that comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) could become the celestial sight of the decade.

Post by skywalker on Oct 20, 2012 21:38:07 GMT -6

Cool! I'm going to try to take some pictures of it through my telescope.

I have a question though that has never been fully explained to me. What exactly are these crazy comets and how were they originally formed. They are supposedly made of ice and frozen water and they have really weird elliptical orbits that take them gazillions of miles out in the middle of nowhere and then gradually bring them back near the sun. Why would they do that when the planetary orbits are relatively circular?

Post by touched on Oct 21, 2012 16:15:47 GMT -6

Cool! I'm going to try to take some pictures of it through my telescope.

I have a question though that has never been fully explained to me. What exactly are these crazy comets and how were they originally formed. They are supposedly made of ice and frozen water and they have really weird elliptical orbits that take them gazillions of miles out in the middle of nowhere and then gradually bring them back near the sun. Why would they do that when the planetary orbits are relatively circular?

This article explains it pretty well but I'll add 2 cents to it . It is believed that comets originate from either the kuiper belt or Oort comet cloud, probably both. These are bands of material that are located past the orbits of Uranus and Neptune, some being twice as far or more. This material contains debris of ice and other particles with mass that are leftovers from the early formation of the solar system.

Every once in awhile a passing star or even the orbits of the larger planets ( in elliptical orbits) causes disturbances from gravitational pull which causes these particles to separate from their orbit and then they get caught by the suns gravity and pulled in to the sun or in an elliptical, parabolic, or hyperbolic orbit toward and then around it.

Some of these crash in to the sun. Others make it around and become beautiful objects which return back in x amount of years. These are called periodic comets and are categorized with a 'p'. Others come around the sun once and never return in a hyperbolic orbit.

It has long been suspected that there is another star orbiting our sun which if that's the case, would classify our sun as a binary system. This star or planet) has never been found yet. Some have suspected over the years that this possible star has went within or close by the Oort comet cloud every 25 million years or so and has caused some of these particles to be disturbed and also form comets but that is still just speculation.

Post by touched on Feb 8, 2013 7:43:17 GMT -6

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.[/youtube]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.

Post by touched on Feb 8, 2013 18:27:16 GMT -6

It is getting closer to that time for a special treat from the heavens, hopefully. Astronomers are getting some good pictures of it. At the beginning of March it will be rather difficult to find but by the middle of the month it should be noticeable in the Western sky after sunset if this comet holds up and doesn't fizzle out. If all goes according to the latest estimates it might become a fuzzy 1st or 2nd magnitude object displaying a tail. Astronomers are guessing it to be about as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper. This is if, and only if this comet survives it's journey around the sun . After it does make it around (if it does) it will be at that time around the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd week of March that it should be at it's brightest and best with a defined tail and should be visible without the aid of a telescope or binoculars until April or so depending.

These things are unpredictable. It may be a much better object or worse,,,nobody knows. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere are getting some nice pictures of it. Within the next few weeks it will be our turn to see it in the Northern Hemisphere once it ( if it) makes it's way around.

There is another one that is in the Southern Hemisphere skies and is working it's way to ours if it makes it. It's called comet Lemmon. Unless another one comes along within these three the best will be later this year, possibly the best ever and may even be visible during the daytime even. Wouldn't that be awesome to live to see the best comet ever ? I'm hoping it will happen and turn out that way.

Post by lois on Feb 8, 2013 22:38:45 GMT -6

Back in the 70s I could see Haley's comet well. It was in the bowl of the big dipper for a long time. .When Haleys came before my Mother witnessed it and would tell us it was never dark at night. I do not recall for how long.

She told when I was young you will see it yourself someday. I was getting ready to see it come the way she told me ... it did before.. was very excited about it but when it got here . I was really disappointed ..

She also said people and a scientist had killed them selves as they were sure it was going to hit earth or its tail of gas was going to hit us and kill every living thing on the planet..

Cliff . do you have photos of that comet? I would love to see how it really looked Maybe something on the ground at night . I have had that image in my mind my entire life.

Post by touched on Feb 9, 2013 9:10:36 GMT -6

Lois, you are very fortunate to have seen one of those comets !

Back in the 1970's there were at least 3 comets that made quite an impression in the night sky that I wish I would have been old enough to remember. Their names were Comet West ,Comet Kohoutek, and Comet Bennett.

I remember Comet Halley well. It came in 1986. It was the first comet I had ever observed . During that time I had an observatory type Tinsley 8" Schmidtz - Cassegrain Telescope that I used which took up the entire field of view in a bluish hue. Here's an article about comet Halley :

Post by touched on Feb 9, 2013 9:50:44 GMT -6

Is it normal to have this many comets in one year? I thought they were more scarce than that.

Not visible ones. There are ,at just about any given time, a number of them coming through the solar system. Throughout time Astronomers have discovered many of them and amateur Astronomers have made a heavy contribution adding to the list.Some amateurs have discovered 10 or more in their lifetime. There are different classifications of comets depending on their orbits. Within the last few years I have been monitoring observations with my own telescopes and those made with SOHO. One amateur Astronomer has discovered over 140 to date using this instrument and even discovered a minor planet which is credited to his name. On average one comes through it's fov leading to a new discovery every 2 1/2 days or so:

Among the variety of different orbital classifications ,one group in particular have been coming through it seems almost back to back at times. They're called the Kreutz family sungrazers which I find especially interesting. :

With an amateur sized telescope with a diameter of about 5 inches or more I would estimate that there are about 3 or more at least that come through on average each year that are observable. I love observing them and have spent more time in the past few years then ever before.

Post by lois on Feb 9, 2013 18:16:59 GMT -6

Cliff. Now after reading your links I'm not sure what comet we watch.. ;D

It was a hot summer month. My daughter was around 12. She was born in 65. I remember this night well as we had a peeping Tom no farther than 6 or seven feet from us as we laid on the ground on a cover. It was around 9 or 10 pm. My daughters said Mom don't you hear some one out back of the house. I told them it must be a cat or a dog. . we keep hearing cracking noises. Well they went into the house by the front door . we were in the front yard. I was almost laying in the drive on the west side of the front yard. Our car was in the driveway . I heard some one coming down the street wearing boots.. at least that is what I thought. This person had walked by our front yard a few minutes before we heard the noise out back. It now seems he went to the corner and came around up the alley way.

This time the steps stop as the person got behind our car but in two seconds he had turn into our yard and it dropped down on the far side of the car into the neighbors yard. . He did not know this drop off was there in the dark. So he went down like falling and hit the other side of our car with a thump. I thought I'm laying down how quick can I get up?

I looked under the car from my side . I seen white tennis shoes and white socks his knee was showing so I knew he must be wearing shorts. He went to the front of the car and was still kneeling. It was only one jump to the corner of the house on the west side from our car.. He made that leap in front of me. I seen curly blonde hair and a polo shirt . Seem at the time he was a college kid. Anyway he thinks his in the dark and the corner of the house is shadowing him.. He could of leap out on top of me in one second. I was thinking as fast as I could.

So I did not appear like I was going to get up. I just yelled at my daughters . You guys are missing the comet . Come out and look . as was talking i got up slowly took to side steps til I was off the cover going in front of the front door but not quite. So I yelled again saying will you guys get out here. and with that remark I took two leaps to the front door. Ran across the enclosed porch to the enter door. Yelling there is some loony out side . Our dog knew it right away as the man ran to the back of the house. Our poodle ran to the far North window growling at this nut... . My husband got a ball bat and was heading for the front porch ;D By this time he was in our front yard again. I mean he was so weird.

Never forget that face . He resembled LEO SAYERS a singer in the 80s . curly hair and all. My husband told him to get the h@#@ out of our yard. This guy just stands there . When my husband went onto the porch he ran passed our car and through the neighbors back yard . I heard his head and body hit the low trunk branches of their cherry trees.. ;D My husband went after him like a fool . But when he went up this dark alley he decided not to go. By this time the police arrived and went in that direction but never found him.. We did not do any more comet watching that night. ;D ;D

What comet came in summer of 76 77 or 78? .. ..

It was very visible to the naked eye and one could see the trail.. The trail went west of the comet in the deeper and the front of it went sort of North East. . It was there for more than one night.

If any one wants to know how this ended , go to my experiences and you will see what happened with this loony . He kills a girl one week later one block over.

Post by touched on Feb 9, 2013 20:22:43 GMT -6

Oh my goodness Lois.

That's terrible . That could've been you instead of the person down the street. It's sad that she was killed. Wow ! Even though our neighborhood is relatively safe and quiet I still watch at night when I'm out observing because you just never know. Good grief !

As for which comet it was during that time frame I'll have to do more research. I checked a few but they don't fit with those. There were around 40 comets or so within that decade so it could have been one of many. It was during the summer ? Comet West flared up in intensity around February and March of 76 . It was brighter than comet Kohoutek from what I gather according to other observations at that time. Here's a picture in this link of Comet West but it may not be the one. :

Post by lois on Feb 9, 2013 21:57:57 GMT -6

Cliff.. That is what my husband said that night . that weirdo could of had a knife... Thanks so much for your time and effort. I think maybe one of my daughters may remember how old they were. They will never forget that night. .. At least it would be easier to find it. We got our Poodle the winter of 75 so I know it would have to be at least summer of 75, We lived down the street from the Junior High two blocks . There Playground was directly across the street from us. My son played center at high school on the basket ball team. He lived out there throwing hoops til midnight. He was not over there this night. Wish he had been. Young people in shorts every night on the playground.

So I did not think much when I see this stranger that night. My daughter attend the junior high then. I can visualize them laying next to me .they seem to be grown like. OH well if I get a date I will let you know. I do not know why I thought I was looking at Haley's that night. I have always thought it was Haley's . But we did not live there in the 80s at all. If I had my camera I have now it would of been great. As it zoom in on Jupiter the night it went near the moon. It came out looking blue. Is that not strange. Thought about asking you why a couple of weeks ago. I had in on timeline then .

Post by touched on Feb 24, 2013 22:36:02 GMT -6

Update :

Comet PanSTARRS is forecasted to be visible starting Thursday March 7th at Magnitude 2.3 ! Look in the Western sky right after sunset , it may be visible. They are very unpredictable so much could change between now and then. If all goes well, it will be higher up each evening .

Post by auntym on Mar 5, 2013 14:20:54 GMT -6

A German travel agency is selling tickets for a flight to give 88 astronomy buffs a close-up view of one of two rare comets expected to pass Earth this year.

Eclipse Travel, based in Bonn, has joined charter agency Air Partner and airline Air Berlin to organize flight AB1000 on March 16 as comet Pan-STARRS passes through the solar system, 100 million miles from Earth.

The last comet to dazzle Earth's night-time skies was Comet Hale-Bopp, which visited in 1997. Comet 17P/Holmes made a brief appearance in 2007.

The Boeing 737-700 flight will zigzag at 11,000 metres altitude for the viewing with an Air Berlin spokesman saying only 88 of 144 seats on board filled to ensure all travellers are close to a window.

"If the weather is very good and the air is clear you can certainly see the comet from Earth," Air Berlin's Karsten von dem Hagen, Teamleader Sales Ad Hoc Flights, said in an e-mail to Reuters on Tuesday.

"But at an altitude of 11,000 metres you are most likely above the clouds. The air there is thinner, clearer and cleaner, which enables better observation of the comet."

An astronomy expert will be on board to explain the comet that NASA described as a new comet that should be visible by the naked eye and about as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper as it passes through the solar system this month.

NASA scientists said the comet could send an amazing tail of gas and dust into the night sky but the cosmic show could be less than dazzling if the comet falls apart under the heat and gravitational pull of its plunge toward the sun.

The comet Pan-STARRS, discovered by astronomers in Hawaii in 2011, is the first of two comets expected to pass Earth this year.The second is ISON, which is forecast to be one of the brightest comets ever seen and could even outshine the moon when it flies by in late November.

Eclipse Travel is selling tickets for the two-hour flight for between 359 euros and 509 euros, according to its website.

Post by skywalker on Mar 5, 2013 16:41:04 GMT -6

How long is this comet supposed to be visible? I'm still stuck up in this godforsaken wasteland delivering groceries. My stupid company said I would be done with this yesterday but apparently they changed their minds. The comet will probably be dead and buried before I can get home to my telescope.

Post by touched on Mar 8, 2013 18:44:42 GMT -6

How long is this comet supposed to be visible? I'm still stuck up in this godforsaken wasteland delivering groceries. My stupid company said I would be done with this yesterday but apparently they changed their minds. The comet will probably be dead and buried before I can get home to my telescope.

Has anyone seen it yet ? I have cloudy skies here . It should start becoming visible in the Western sky right after sunset as soon as darkness settles in. It probably wont be as spectacular as once thought unfortunately but around the 10th of the month or sooner I hear it may be high enough to see with just your eyes .

Skywalker it should be visible for at least a couple weeks if not longer hopefully.

Starting about 20-30 minutes after sunset with binoculars or a wide field telescope with low power should give good results. As with any other comets, these things can change quickly and either put on a good show or fizzle out, we'll see. Good luck and hopefully,,,enjoy !

Post by touched on Mar 10, 2013 14:23:09 GMT -6

Cliff would you still be able to see it with the naked eye on Monday evening? Hope so.

You might be able to Lois if it's bright enough. It's worth a try at least. Today, for example, is when PanSTARRS is at perihelion (closest approach to the sun) so it won't be too far from the Sun and will be a bit of a challenge in twilight. Tomorrow it will be a bit higher as you can see on the chart above. It has been so low thus far that most amateur astronomers have been struggling to see it.

It will be low in the Southwestern sky so buildings or other obstructions will block the view. A wide open area with low light and smog pollution will be best for viewing. The Moon will start factoring in as a hindrance also from about the 13th or 14th of the month on. Notice the comets position to the left of the thin crescent Moon on the 12th (Tuesday).

Keep checking each evening for the next few weeks as it climbs higher in the night sky away from the Sun. I'm hoping to finally get a view of this within the next few days weather permitting.

Good luck everyone !

To add : Today is the day as I mentioned above about the comets perihelion that it's at it's closest point to the Sun in it's orbit. This is when either the good or the bad happens to the comet. It could fizzle out being so close to the Sun, or it might even brighten even more. It may stay the same. They are very unpredictable. I'm hoping it will brighten of course.

Post by touched on Mar 10, 2013 16:27:03 GMT -6

The best time to look is about 30 to 45 minutes after sunset. This narrow window of viewing time is when twilight fades enough for the comet to show through at least a bit, but before it sinks too low and sets.

On Tuesday March 12th, look for the very thin crescent Moon very low due west. The comet will be just to its left, by two or three finger-widths at arm's length.

On Wednesday March 13th, you'll see a less-thin crescent Moon higher up. Look below it by about the width of your fist at arm's length.

On Thursday the 14th, look two fists below the Moon and perhaps a little to the right.

After that, the comet will gradually move to the right from one evening to the next as it begins to fade. (These descriptions are for the latitudes of the U.S., Canada, and southern Europe.)

Look for a fuzzy star with a short upward tail. Binoculars will give a much better view. And if you have a telescope, now's the time to bring it out!

Post by touched on Mar 11, 2013 1:15:45 GMT -6

Good luck everyone ! Lois, you're welcome ! If you go high enough to see the horizon or a few degrees above it you may be able to. If there is a place nearby you can walk to that has a clearing to see where the sun sets low on the horizon that would be ideal.

For everyone making the attempt to see the comet, try looking from about 25 even to 45 minutes after sundown when it's starting to get dark. At 45 minutes it will be close to the horizon but if conditions are right you may still see it depending. I'm watching closely for the latest reports that I can find from other astronomers since cloudy conditions here is prohibiting me from making my own report of it.

Hopefully the weather forecast is correct for my area. It's calling for p.m. sun on Monday,,,we'll see. If so, I'll be walking my telescope with help from a neighbor over to the golf course close to my house to see this thing.

Post by touched on Mar 11, 2013 21:07:46 GMT -6

I'm overwhelmed !

Right at sunset the sky was cloudy with breaks in between here and there so I disassembled part of the tripod and grabbed some of my accessories and carried the telescope about a block to the golf course next to our subdivision where the view is clear from horizon to horizon. , except for all the clouds. Brrrrr it was cold

I equatorially aligned the scope, and searched around through the clouds low on the horizon for about 30 minutes with a small homemade handheld scope ( 50mm ) I made awhile back . I then decided to use the larger refractor at 24x.

I found it ! It is beautiful !

I could plainly see it's bright, golden colored coma (nucleus) and saw the tail split in two sections with distinct particles coming from it. The tail in my 5" refractor telescope appeared to be spanning upward arching to the right and curving several degrees. The tail was golden too !

This is a beautiful comet !

I only got to see it for about 30 seconds because of the clouds. I tried to hurry up and add the 2x barlow so I could double the power but by the time I put it in and refocused, the comet was gone behind the clouds. Although I only got to see it for a few seconds, it was worth all the effort . I truly hope everyone gets a chance to see this comet, it is amazing ! I'm hoping to see it again if conditions allow. Next time I'll start out with low magnification like I did this time and hopefully I'll have time to use a little bit higher magnification to get a closer view with more detail. ( 24x - 48x - 60x - 120x )

Out of all of the comets I've observed throughout the years this one ranks at # 2 on my list with Hale-Bopp being # 1 .

Post by touched on Mar 12, 2013 0:14:12 GMT -6

Tomorrow, ( the 12th), the comet will be just to the left of the thin crescent Moon as a guide for reference. It may be visible without binoculars or a telescope but I'm not certain because of the glow of the setting sun. If you have binoculars or a telescope ( or both ) it will help to distinguish the comets features but if not it still may be visible.

Good luck and if you still don't see it don't give up hope because each day for the next couple weeks it will gradually climb higher. Ck , I wish I had the right equipment to take pics and share but maybe by the time ISON comes near in November I might,,,we'll see.

spotless38: Iam back after a long break . What a couple of years I had . After what had happened I lost my brother and had to bury him and then I had caught that type A flue and I was a very sick puppy I also needed blood for the loss of it .Jul 7, 2018 13:30:41 GMT -6

lois: Very Happy to see you Ron. Missed you. Glad you are doing better now. Sorry for your lost. I did not know your brother had passed. hugs loisJul 10, 2018 0:52:45 GMT -6

lois: I picked up my phone a few days ago and I looked at the name of the caller. Boy was I surprise. It has been a couple of years. So good to hear your voice Ron. Hope you make it a habit again. love and hugs .Aug 15, 2018 23:21:38 GMT -6

leia77: Spotless, I am glad that you are feeling better and welcome back! I too am back from a long time away...Aug 31, 2018 2:08:32 GMT -6

jcurio: I am much relieved to see that you have been on here, Spotless! I hope that things are going much better for you now Sept 19, 2018 16:46:42 GMT -6