Comet 2011 L4

[Weather-history]

Well comet 2011 L4 will soon be on view in the western horizon after sunset in just over a fortnight. Already some good photos of the comet from the Southern Hemisphere so hopefully it will be a reasonable object in the western sky come mid to late March. Lets hope for reasonably clear skies to glimpse this object.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/skytel/beyondthepage/Comet-PanSTARRS-Updates-185665152.html

[Steve C]

I think there's also a possibility of a truly spectacular comet later this year too - comet ISON - but its interaction with the Sun might prove critical to the sort of light show it provides.

[toggerob]

Also Comet C/2013 A1 is simulated to make a VERY close pass to Mars at 0.0006AU (or twice as close as DA14 came to Earth). 2013 is definitely turning out to be the year of the Comets.

[swebby]

More details of C/2013 A1

http://astroblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/update-on-comet-c2013-a1-siding-spring.html

[Polar Maritime]

BRIGHT COMET PAN-STARRS: 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:

Photo details: Canon 50D, 140mm, f4.0, ISO1600, 3.2s exposure

http://www.spaceweather.com/

[Gray-Wolf]

[Weather-history]

First opportunity to see the comet looks around the 12th. The great news is that we will have an Arctic airmass at the time which means clarity won't be an issue.

[Polar Maritime]

[Weather-history]

Some fantastic news, people in the southern hemisphere have been reporting that the comet has been getting progressively brighter each night as it has been approaching perihelion and is brighter than the conservative estimate predicted at its peak when it slowed down in its brightening.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Weather-history

[Polar Maritime]

Fantastic.. let's hope we get clear sky's as it passes, fingers crossed ! Hopefully it will be visible during the daylight hours to.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Polar Maritime

[Winter Warmer]

I just got some bino's for this hopefully it will be a great spectacle

[Polar Maritime]

COMET PAN-STARRS UPDATE: Yesterday, March 10th,

(C/2011 L4) made its closest approach to the sun. Inside the orbit of Mercury, the comet was hit by solar rays ten times more intense than we experience on Earth. This sets the stage for a good show as Pan-STARRS, glowing brightly, moves into the night sky later this week. Dr. Fritz Helmut Hemmerich of Tenerife (Canary Islands) caught a hint of things to come on March 10th when he photographed the comet setting just behind the sun:

http://www.spaceweather.com/

[toggerob]

Got some fantastic views locally overlooking the cheshire plain, all that's needed is a clear twilight sky for at least a couple of hours from 6pm onwards, tomorrows view with the crescent moon should make observations slightly more easier at PANNSTARRS is still within range of the setting sun.

[ARTDEMOLE]

Maybe lucky with some clear skies for Tus/Weds...With luck...

[toggerob]

Beeb forecast shows the wind swinging down more northerly overnight, allowing for that ridge of high pressure over scotland to pool down and clear the skies. Anywhere central and to the west indeed is a prime candidate for tomorrows Lunar conjunction.

[Dorsetbred]

Cloudy last night , and still cloudy so little hope of viewing tonight.

[Bobby]

Was perfect conditions here last night but it seems the pesky mountain to our West is obscuring it as it's forecast to be too low on the horizon. Probably have a good view on the top of the mountain though, fairly dark skies up there too.

[dodge]

Well skies are now clear on the western horizon - I can see the sliver of crescent on the moon - can see it fully with binos but cannot see any comet yet.

[Weather-history]

Well skies are now clear on the western horizon - I can see the sliver of crescent on the moon - can see it fully with binos but cannot see any comet yet.

Neither could I. It should be to the south of moon.

[Kain]

Panstarrs from Bridgnorth - Slightly windy so abit blurry on the long exposure

Edited March 13, 2013 by Kain

[jtay]

Well I couldn't see it and now I'm flipping freezing.

I was looking top left of the moon. Will try again tomorrow evening.

[Kain]

Well I couldn't see it and now I'm flipping freezing.

I was looking top left of the moon. Will try again tomorrow evening.

Its bottom left mate hehe

[toggerob]

FINALLY clear skies and even clearer air gave for some spectacular visual obs of Pann-STARRS. Photography wise it's currently a tricky beast to get right (for amateurs) given its still within range of twilight yet requires a second or two exposure to actually be seen.

This is the best I could manage on the D3100, after some 30 attempts using all kinds of settings.

[Yarmy]

Well I just managed it with some 7 x 35 bins. Probably visible to the naked eye, but pretty difficult to be honest. Hopefully be easier in the coming days, but then I'll be plagued by clouds no doubt.

[Beverley Lass]

Just been out and had a really good look after studying the path of

it on a constellation map .. and couldn't spot it.

Disappointing.

B.