18°c Partly cloudy
12°c Cloudy with showers
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Comet and crescent moon provide cool photo op, ice ball on 1st-ever tour of inner solar system
This image provided by NASA shoaws the comet PANSTARRS as seen from Mount Dale, Western Australia on March 5, 2013. According to NASA on March 10, it will make its closest approach to the sun about 28 million miles (45 million kilometers) away. As it continues its nightly trek across the sky, the comet may get lost in the sun's glare but should return and be visible to the naked eye by March 12. (AP Photo/NASA)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Now's your chance to see the comet that passed within 100 million miles of Earth last week.
Twilight on Tuesday will provide the best photo op for the comet called Pan-STARRS. It will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere just above the western horizon — right next to a crescent moon.
California astronomer Tony Phillips said the glare of the setting sun may make it difficult to see the comet with the naked eye. But he encourages casual sky gazers to give it a shot. The moon will provide an easy point of reference.
"All by itself, the slender moon will be super-beautiful. If you can see a comet right beside it ... what a bonus!" he wrote in an email from his home and observatory in the Sierra Nevada.
Remember your binoculars, but be certain not to point them at the setting sun, he warned.
Next week, the comet should be easier to spot. It will be higher in the western sky and therefore visible for longer once the sun sets. The surrounding darkness, versus twilight, will make it stand out if the sky is clear.
"Not a great comet, but still a pretty good one," Phillips noted.
Pan-STARRS was visible for weeks from the Southern Hemisphere before popping up on the upper half of the globe in recent days.
Although billions of year old, Pan-STARRS is making its first-ever cruise through the inner solar system. The ice ball passed within 28 million miles (45 million kilometres) of the sun Sunday, its closest approach to our star and within the orbit of Mercury.
Phillips said the comet did not appear to decay during its brush with the sun, even though it encountered 10 times more intense solar rays than what we're used to here on Earth.
Last Tuesday, Pan-STARRS made its closest approach ever of Earth.
The comet's name is actually an acronym for the telescope in Hawaii used to discover it two years ago: the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System.
Astronomers believe Pan-STARRS somehow got kicked out of the Oort Cloud that is full of icy bodies beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto, and propelled into the inner solar system.
It will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere for weeks to come.
Have no fear: Pan-STARRS poses no threat to Earth. Neither does comet ISON, which promises to outdo Pan-STARRS.
Astronomers believe ISON will rival the moon in brightness, come November.
___
Online:
Space Weather: HYPERLINK "http://spaceweather.com/"
NASA: HYPERLINK "http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/news/comet20130307.html"
More World
- Back to Top
- Return to World
More World
(1 of 29 articles for today)
Police: 18 injured in crash between shuttle bus, tractor-trailer near Atlanta airport
7:02 PM 0COLLEGE PARK, Ga. - Eighteen people were taken to the hospital Friday, at least two in serious condition, after they ...
Poll
Most Popular World
- Bridge collapse survivor who fell in river: 'You hold on as tight as you can'
- Rare comic book featuring debut of Superman found insulating abandoned house in Minnesota
- 2 arrested on suspicion of endangering aircraft after jets intercept UK-bound Pakistan plane
- Brave woman tried to calm London attackers and reasoned with them before police came
- Gay teen charged for having younger girlfriend
- Actress Amanda Bynes arrested in NYC on a marijuana charge after she threw a bong out a window
- Distraught mom who carried daughter to safety becomes the face of the storm
- Mistrial in penalty phase of Arias case sets up whole new proceeding to decide punishment
- Muslim hard-liners ID suspect seen in video after British soldier killed in London
- 5 climbers missing on Mount Kanchenjunga, world's 3rd highest peak
- Bridge collapse survivor who fell in river: 'You hold on as tight as you can'
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Brave woman tried to calm London attackers and reasoned with them before police came
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Muslim hard-liners ID suspect seen in video after British soldier killed in London
- Polish man gets quick face transplant in what doctors say was life-saving decision
- Rare comic book featuring debut of Superman found insulating abandoned house in Minnesota
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- Amanda Berry, 1 of 3 women freed after held captive in Ohio home, arrives at sister's home
- Bridge collapse survivor who fell in river: 'You hold on as tight as you can'
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
- Police vow to solve shooting that wounded 19 people during Mother's Day parade in New Orleans
- Missing Pa. woman, last seen dropping off kids for school in 2002, surfaces in Fla.
- Cleveland police: Ohio captive suffered 5 miscarriages after being beaten and starved
- Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder, says she prefers death penalty
- Brave woman tried to calm London attackers and reasoned with them before police came
- Neighbours: Man in custody comforted missing girl's mom, helped search for missing US women
- Bridge collapse survivor who fell in river: 'You hold on as tight as you can'
- Rare comic book featuring debut of Superman found insulating abandoned house in Minnesota
- Horror in the rearview mirror: Trucker amazed by tragedy behind him after load hits I-5 bridge
- Phone cracked? Cool
- 5.7-magnitude quake shakes Northern California; no reports of injuries
- Bridge collapse survivor who fell in river: 'You hold on as tight as you can'
- Rare comic book featuring debut of Superman found insulating abandoned house in Minnesota
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Horror in the rearview mirror: Trucker amazed by tragedy behind him after load hits I-5 bridge
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Shady characters: Cookie Monster, Elmo accused of aggressive behaviour in Times Square
- Up to 60 people injured when car drives into Va. parade; medical emergency possible cause
- Officials announce 1 winning ticket sold in Fla. on record Powerball jackpot topping $590M
- Bridge collapse survivor who fell in river: 'You hold on as tight as you can'
- Rare comic book featuring debut of Superman found insulating abandoned house in Minnesota
- 'Coronation Street' actor William Roache charged in UK over alleged rapes in 1967
- Coroner: 5-year-old boy shoots 2-year-old sister in US with rifle he got as a gift
- Hitler ate well, his food taster recalls
- Black bear wanders into LA-area suburbia, chases swimmers from pool, strands kids in class
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Female guards, rapidly growing in numbers, at heart of U.S. prison scandal
- US tourists swim for nearly 14 hours after boat sinks near St. Lucia
- IBM makes movie about a little boy - a very little boy - by pushing molecules around
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.