Bright Comet Set for Dazzling Sky Show this Month
by Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist
Date: 04 March 2013 Time: 03:26 PM ET
Astrophotographer Luis Argerich of Buenos Aires, Argentina,
took this photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken on March 2, 2013. He writes:
"Easy to see with the naked eye from rural locations."
CREDIT: © Luis Argerich/Nightscape Photography
The comet is now seemingly very close to early predictions of its brightness in the March sky, and it could conceivably be as bright as, or brighter, than a first-magnitude star when it makes its closest approach to the sun (called perihelion) on Sunday (March 10). That would make it clearly visible to the naked eye.
Comet Pan-STARRS, known officially as comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), was discovered in June 2011 by astronomers using the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System, or Pan-STARRS telescope, in Hawaii. It is passing through the inner solar system this month and makes its closest approach to Earth on Tuesday (March 5), when it will be within 100 million miles (160 million kilometers) of Earth.
Source: Space.com .
Related Blog Posts --
Updates: Viewing Comet PanSTARRS (2013 March 6):Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/03/updates-viewing-comet-panstarrs.html
Possible Naked-eye Comet in March (2013 Feb. 7):
Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
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