Comet Panstar

[Eric Mc]

Anyone seen it yet?

[nellyleelephant]

My cloud filters are broken.

[Eric Mc]

It should be directly below the very thin crescent moon tonight. From where I am, even though the moon is clear, there is an annoying bank of cloud along the horizon which must be obscuring the comet.

[nellyleelephant]

I'm hoping that as it gets higher in the sky it still stays good. The moon may wipe it out though.

just had a peek outside, it's clear, but too low to see from my garden, getting everything out and driving somwewhere is beyond me tonight.

Edited by nellyleelephant on Wednesday 13th March 19:19

[MartG]

It was very frustrating tonight - The moon was visible, but a large blck cloud obscured the comet. Thenn, for about 10 minutes it was visible between clouds....



Fuji HS20EXR, 30x zoom, image cropped and brightened a little to make the tail visible The camera is in focus - it actually looks that blurred through binoculars too

[jbudgie]

By Dr. Brian May.

[FunkyNige]

Does it stay roughly in the same place all evening? I went out about 1930 but couldn't see it, though that was in the middle of a town.

[jbudgie]

Brian Cox retweeted

Dr. Brian May Dr. Brian May
@DrBrianMay
Tonight Comet PanStarrs is near a thin New Moon. During this week it will be lurking, but you need a clear W. Horizon pic.twitter.com/SxDORauxgq
06:58 PM - 12 Mar 13

reply Reply retweet Retweet favourite Favorite





View this photo from Dr. Brian May


From Whittier CA

[nellyleelephant]

Surely that's a render, not a photo??

[perdu]

MartG said:

It was very frustrating tonight - The moon was visible, but a large blck cloud obscured the comet. Thenn, for about 10 minutes it was visible between clouds....



Fuji HS20EXR, 30x zoom, image cropped and brightened a little to make the tail visible The camera is in focus - it actually looks that blurred through binoculars too

Nice shot

colour me jealous

becoming a familiar hue

[MartG]

nellyleelephant said:

Surely that's a render, not a photo??

From the colour of the trees I'd guess a long exposure with an infra red sensitve camera

[nellyleelephant]

MartG said:

From the colour of the trees I'd guess a long exposure with an infra red sensitve camera

The tail doesn't look real, happy to be proven wrong!

[Daxed]

I managed to find a break in the clouds at about 19:00 last night. Well worth a drive out to an elevated west looking dark sky car park.

Seeing wasn't the clearest but still looked stunning through binoculars.

[TheEnd]

I thought it was supposed to be above the moon?
I saw some simulated pics showing its apparent positions with the last couple of days being just to the left, tonight it would be pretty much on top, and then appearing on the right side from then on.

[Eric Mc]

It was on Tuesday.

By last night both the moon had moved (in its orbit around the earth) and the comet had moved (in its orbit around the sun) so last night the comet was directly below the moon. The moon will be even further above the comet tonight.

[TheEnd]

That's what I was going by.

[Eric Mc]

What country does that originate from?

[MartG]

Eric Mc said:

What country does that originate from?

Yes, your latitude will have an effect on where you see it relative to the moon

[TheEnd]

Hard to say, but probably American. There were no mentions of the effects of latitudes, even though the US would cover a greater range than the UK does.

[MiniMan64]

Hmm, I fear too low on the horizon and slightly too hazy for me.