View Full Version : Two Bright Comets This year
N8GAV
02-19-2013, 11:00 AM
My astronomy class for the past two Monday nights have been looking for two comets with our 8 inch telescope, but its been too cloudy. The first one, Pan-Starrs should been seen coming out the west around sunset. On March 12-13th it will be just west of the crescent moon and may be as bright. So in a couple weeks we will have something to look for. The Next one will be the big one, in fact it will be seen during the day. Comet Ison, might be the "Great Comet of 1680" it can be seen starting near the end of Oct. During the week of Thanksgiving the night sky will be as bright as if there was a full moon, and will be so until Dec. 6th. If we get a clear night next Monday I will down load a picture of Pan-Starrs,it should be near Pluto as it gets ready to swing on its path to the sun and I will post it.
I still have the paperback book I bought with lawn mowing money about the Comet Kohoutek (Greatest Fiery Chariot of all Time). The comet that would outshine all comets...
suddenseer
02-19-2013, 11:51 AM
I still have the paperback book I bought with lawn mowing money about the Comet Kohoutek (Greatest Fiery Chariot of all Time). The comet that would outshine all comets...I remember getting up real early to get a view of that one. what a disappointment.
suddenseer
02-19-2013, 11:53 AM
My astronomy class for the past two Monday nights have been looking for two comets with our 8 inch telescope, but its been too cloudy. The first one, Pan-Starrs should been seen coming out the west around sunset. On March 12-13th it will be just west of the crescent moon and may be as bright. So in a couple weeks we will have something to look for. The Next one will be the big one, in fact it will be seen during the day. Comet Ison, might be the "Great Comet of 1680" it can be seen starting near the end of Oct. During the week of Thanksgiving the night sky will be as bright as if there was a full moon, and will be so until Dec. 6th. If we get a clear night next Monday I will down load a picture of Pan-Starrs,it should be near Pluto as it gets ready to swing on its path to the sun and I will post it.I really hope to see these. I am not getting my hopes up. Every time there is an astronomical display, it rains here for days.
N8GAV
02-19-2013, 12:16 PM
[QUOTE=suddenseer;516371]I really hope to see these. I am not getting my hopes up. Every time there is an astronomical display, it rains here for days.[/QUOTE
I am like you Tim, Dr. Harvey my instructor, said that Ison will be the best and last the longest.
My astronomy class for the past two Monday nights have been looking for two comets with our 8 inch telescope, but its been too cloudy. The first one, Pan-Starrs should been seen coming out the west around sunset. On March 12-13th it will be just west of the crescent moon and may be as bright. So in a couple weeks we will have something to look for. The Next one will be the big one, in fact it will be seen during the day. Comet Ison, might be the "Great Comet of 1680" it can be seen starting near the end of Oct. During the week of Thanksgiving the night sky will be as bright as if there was a full moon, and will be so until Dec. 6th. If we get a clear night next Monday I will down load a picture of Pan-Starrs,it should be near Pluto as it gets ready to swing on its path to the sun and I will post it.
Can't wait to see those. We've had fog, snow or solid overcast for about 80% of the time in the last month.
kb2vxa
02-19-2013, 03:37 PM
We shall see what we shall see, maybe the other side of the mountain. I'll never forget comet Hale-Bopp, the most spectacular astronomical display I've ever seen.
KG4CGC
02-19-2013, 04:26 PM
Sounds cool.
Remember the one that had Applewhite and his gang all off themselves? Anyone ever look at that one through a decent pair of binoculars?
All of this will pale in comparison to when Betelgeuse goes supernova... could happen in our lifetimes.
N8GAV
02-20-2013, 09:22 PM
All of this will pale in comparison to when Betelgeuse goes supernova... could happen in our lifetimes.
It may already have Ryan, and if it did it was 6,000 years ago. So we may see it because thats how long it takes the past to catch up with us. There is a star named RG211A, in the center of Leo that in the past 10 years they notice have "Srunk", as if it will implode soon.So we may see that too. It's a small star,about the size of our sun.
kb2vxa
02-20-2013, 11:22 PM
Hmmm, I use jumpers made with RG-211A.
It may already have Ryan, and if it did it was 6,000 years ago. So we may see it because thats how long it takes the past to catch up with us. There is a star named RG211A, in the center of Leo that in the past 10 years they notice have "Srunk", as if it will implode soon.So we may see that too. It's a small star,about the size of our sun.
Of course. When I mean happen in our lifetimes I mean that we could get to see it.
I don't ever remember seeing it glowing as red as it is now but 30 or so years I've been watching the sky is but a blink of an eye in the time scale of the universe.
N1LAF
02-24-2013, 09:07 AM
Many may enjoy this video. Comets Lemmon and PansSTARRS visibile in the southern hemisphere. One of the best videos of this type.
http://vimeo.com/59571509
Many may enjoy this video. Comets Lemmon and PansSTARRS visibile in the southern hemisphere. One of the best videos of this type.
http://vimeo.com/59571509
Great vid. Thanks for posting it.
It will be in the Western sky after sunset. Best viewing is tonight, March 12, 2013, so I hope the deluge here will be over and the sky will clear.
Courtesy of AccuWeather.com:
To see the comet, look for it in the west, just to the left of the point on your horizon where the sun sets, shortly after sunset beginning in the next few days. [How to see the comet (http://www.space.com/19672-how-to-spot-comet-pan-starrs-in-march-2013-video.html)] If this advice sounds a little vague, it is because comets are slightly unpredictable, in particular their brightness. Also, observing locations vary widely in their suitability to observe objects close to the sun.
Try to find a site with a very low western horizon to improve your chances of catching sight of the comet early. The farther south you live on Earth, the more likely you are to see it early. Any haze in the air will make it harder to see the comet.
Comet Pan-STARRS made its closest approach to Earth (http://www.space.com/20074-rare-comets-photos-pan-starrs-lemmon.html) on Tuesday (March 5), when it passed by at a range of about 102 million miles (164 million kilometers). The only large objects closer to Earth on that date were the moon (at a range of 228,442 miles, or 367,642 km), the planet Mercury (58 million miles, or 93 million km) and the sun (92 million miles or 148 million km).
Bright Comet Pan-STARRS in Night Sky: How to See It (http://goo.gl/bcrin)
N8GAV
03-12-2013, 01:27 PM
Unless it clears up here tonight I won't see it. Going to rain here tonight.
N8GAV
03-12-2013, 01:33 PM
Of course. When I mean happen in our lifetimes I mean that we could get to see it.
I don't ever remember seeing it glowing as red as it is now but 30 or so years I've been watching the sky is but a blink of an eye in the time scale of the universe.
You know, in the past year it has gotten brighter. Maybe we will see a super nova soon.
Unless it clears up here tonight I won't see it. Going to rain here tonight.
An hour or so to go and it's been raining hard since 8AM with no let up. Hopefully the 13th will be better.
W2NAP
03-12-2013, 05:13 PM
wish the damn clouds would leave so i can see the damn thing.
N8GAV
03-13-2013, 06:59 PM
Second night in a row with rain/snow mix. Looks like I won't see it again.
Cloudy with scattered showers. No go here either. It might be dimmer, but it will be higher in the sky from now on.
W2NAP
03-13-2013, 07:23 PM
really pisses me off to. all this week weather is shitty.
edit- it cleared out here pretty quick... and no comet. cant see it with my eyes :(
Looks like it's not meant to be. Went from mostly cloudy to solid un-fricken-believable overcast. Cold enough to freeze a witch's breastworks too.
N8GAV
03-14-2013, 07:28 PM
I see it ! Not real bright, look to the right of the cresent moon about 20 degrees up from the horizon. Using my 8x36 binoculars, but it is there.
KK4AMI
03-14-2013, 08:29 PM
I got to see Panstarr for a very short period. It was sunset, Panstarr, moon and pffft done. I'll wait till it starts heading out into dark skies before I look at it again with my telescope.
I tried yesterday but got home too late. Oh well there's always tonight.
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