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Comet Pan-STARRS Close-Up from Australia
Credit: Astronomy Education Services/Gingin Observatory
Close-up of comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS as seen from Mount Dale, Western Australia.
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Comet Pan-STARRS C/2011 L4
Credit: Terry Lovejoy/Australia
Comet Pan-STARRS C/2011 L4, discovered by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope on Haleakala in June 2011, is expected to become visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere in March. The comet is currently visible in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Comet Pan-STARRS on March 2, 2013
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."
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Comets Pan-STARRS and Lemmon Over Australia
Credit: Ashley Krieger
Astrophotographer Ashley Krieger sent in this photo dated March 4, 2013, taken near Two Wells in South Australia, showing comets Panstarrs and Lemmon together.
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Comet Pan-STARRS in Night Sky: March 2013
Credit: Science@NASA
The progression of comet Pan-STARRS across the night sky in March 2013 is shown in this NASA graphic.
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Comet Pan-STARRS March 2013
Credit: NASA/JPL
The location of comet Pan-STARRS in the eastern sky of March 2013 just after sunset is shown in this NASA graphic.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Cilacap, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
Credit: Rukman Nugraha
Astrophotographer Rukman Nugraha sent in an image of Comet Pan-STARRS taken over Cilacap, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia, on March 7, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Kalgoorlie, Australia
Credit: Philip Collins/Big Phil Photography
Astrophotographer Philip Collins sent in a photo of comet Pan-STARRS taken in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia at the Mount Charlotte Lookout. Image submitted March 8, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Brightness (Magnitude)
Credit: NASA/JPL
This NASA graphic depicts the potential brightness of comet Pan-STARRS in March 2013, using the magnitude scale of astronomers.
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Comets Pan-STARRS and Lemmon from Las Campanas Observatory
Credit: Yuri Beletsky
Yuri Beletsky, a Magellan Instrument Support Scientist at Las Campanas observatory located in Atacama Desert in Chile, used a Canon 5D Mark II camera with an exposure time of ~ 30 seconds on Feb. 28, 2013 to capture this image of Comets Pan-STARRS and Lemmon.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Seen in Buenos Aires #2
Astrophotographer Luis Argerich of Buenos Aires, Argentina, took this photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken on March 2, 2013. He writes: "Comet Pan-STARRS was visible from about 8:15 pm to 9 pm above the western horizon."
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Comets Lemmon and Pan-STARRS Together at Last
Credit: Justin Tilbrook
Astrophotographer Justin Tilbrook of Penwortham, South Australia, caught this photo of Comets Lemmon (bottom left) and Pan-STARRS (right near the Small Magellanic Cloud) together on Feb. 17. 2013. He writes: "This is the one I've been waiting for…. Don't mind saying it was difficult to set this up, a narrow window before sunrise, 4 degrees of hill in the way, limitations with the dome slit and having to mount the camera at the front of the scope at a very odd angle. Took about an hour."
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Comet Pan-STARRS Seen in Buenos Aires
Astrophotographer Luis Argerich of Buenos Aires, Argentina, took this photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken on March 2, 2013. He writes: "While the tail was still short it was easy to see with the naked eye and very bright."
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Comet Pan-STARRS Night Sky Path: 2013
Credit: Science@NASA
This graphic depicts the path of comet Pan-STARRS across the night sky from March to May in 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS View from Australia
Credit: Astronomy Education Services/Gingin Observatory
Full view of Comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS as seen from Mount Dale, Western Australia. The lights on the distant horizon are from the city of Armadale, which is southeast of Perth.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Photo by John Drummond: January 2013
Credit: Science@NASA/John Drummond
New Zealand stargazer John Drummond captured this image of comet Pan-STARRS on Jan. 23, 2013. The comet may become visible to the naked eye in March 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Telescope Photo
Credit: Science@NASA
A telescope photo of comet Pan-STARRS, which may become visible to the naked eye in March 2013.
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Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) Discovered by Asteroid Telescope
Credit: Institute for Astronomy/University of Hawaii/Pan-STARRS
Discovery image of the newfound comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), taken by Hawaii's Pan-STARRS 1 telescope.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Photo and Telescope
Credit: Science@NASA
This still image from a NASA video shows a black and white view of comet Pan-STARRS (background), as well as an image of the comet's discovery photo (inset bottom) and the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) Telescope in Hawaii that spotted the comet in June 2011.
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Comet Pan-STARRS on March 5, 2013
Credit: Science@NASA
This NASA diagram shows the location in the solar system of comet Pan-STARRS, also known as comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), as it will be on March 5, 2013, when the comet will be closest to Earth - about 100 million miles away.
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Comet Pan-STARRS on March 10, 2013
Credit: Science@NASA
This NASA diagram shows the location in the solar system of comet Pan-STARRS, also known as comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), as it will be on March 10, 2013, when the comet is closest to the sun.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Telescope Photo (Labeled)
Credit: Science@NASA
A labeled look at comet Pan-STARRS, which may become visible to the naked eye in March 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Salem, Missouri
Credit: Joe Shuster/Lake County Astronomical Society
Astrophotographer Joe Shuster sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken March 11, 2013, in Salem, MO.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Jadwin, Missouri
Credit: Victor C. Rogus
Astrophotographer Victor C. Rogus sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken March 11, 2013, in Jadwin, MO.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Photo by Lipscomb
Credit: Peter Lipscomb
Astrophotographer Peter Lipscomb sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS. Date and location unspecified.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over the Indian Ocean
Credit: Paul Storey
Astrophotographer Paul Storey sent in this photo of Comet Pan-STARRS setting over the Indian Ocean at Point Peron, West Australia. Image taken March 3, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Texas
Credit: Douglas Lowry, DSLjr.@T.S.O.S., theshapesofsound@yahoo.com.
Astrophotographer Douglas Lowry sent in this photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken on March 11, 2013, in Texas.
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Moon, Airplane and Comet Pan-STARRS Over Rio Rancho, NM
Credit: Josh Knutson
Astrophotographer Josh Knutson sent in a photo of the crescent new moon and Comet Pan-STARRS taken northwest of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Image submitted March 12, 2013.
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Crescent Moon With Aurora (Child) in New Mexico
Credit: Josh Knutson
Astrophotographer Josh Knutson sent in a photo of his daughter, Aurora, pointing in silhouette at the crescent new moon, taken northwest of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, as they were out looking for Comet Pan-STARRS. The light at upper right appears to be the viewfinder of a camera on a tripod. Image submitted March 12, 2013.
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Moon and Comet Pan-STARRS Over Las Vegas
Credit: Tyler Leavitt
Astrophotographer Tyler Leavitt sent in a photo of the crescent moon and Comet Pan-STARRS over Las Vegas. Image submitted March 13, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Albuquerque, NM
Credit: Charles Medendorp
Astrophotographer Charles Medendorp sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS and the crescent moon taken from the base of the Sandia mountains overlooking Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 12, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS and the Moon Over Salem, Missouri
Credit: Joe Shuster/Lake County Astronomical Society
Astrophotographer Joe Shuster sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS and the crescent moon taken in Salem, Missouri, March 12, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Buford, GA
Credit: Bill Carlson
Astrophotographer Bill Carlson sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS and the moon over Buford, Georgia, taken on March 13, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
Credit: Randy Paylor
Astrophotographer Randy Paylor sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS. He writes: "Taken on the campus of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, March 11th [2013], with the school's Memorial Tower clock in the foreground. It was shot across a big open quad to get the tower in the distance and near the horizon."
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Moon, Comet Pan-STARRS and Church in Rio Rancho, NM
Credit: Josh Knutson
Astrophotographer Josh Knutson sent in a photo of the crescent moon and Comet Pan-STARRS setting, with a church in the foreground. Photo taken northwest of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Image submitted March 12, 2013.
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Moon and Comet Pan-STARRS Over Rio Rancho, NM
Credit: Josh Knutson
Astrophotographer Josh Knutson sent in a photo of the crescent new moon and Comet Pan-STARRS taken northwest of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. A church stands in the foreground of this picture. Image submitted March 12, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS and the Moon Over the Hill Country of Texas
Credit: James Zeman
Astrophotographer James Zeman sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS and the moon in the Hill Country of Texas near Dripping Springs. He writes: "The comet was barely visible with the naked eye, and there was considerable haze on the horizon." Image submitted March 13, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS and the Moon
Credit: Dale P. Cruikshank
Dr. Dale P. Cruikshank of NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., took this photo of Comet Pan-STARRS on March 12, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS and Moon Over Woodside, CA
Credit: Steven Loy
Astrophotographer Steven Loy sent in this photo of comet Pan-STARRS and the moon taken from Windy Hill on Highway 35 (Skyline Blvd.) above Woodside, CA, on March 12, 2013.
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Comets Lemmon and Pan-STARRS Over Paranal Observatory
Credit: G. Brammer/ESO
A sunset view of the Paranal Observatory in Chile taken March 5, 2013, shows two comets. Close to the horizon, on the right-hand side of the image, is Comet C/2011 L4 (Pan-STARRS). In the center of the image, just above the right-hand slopes of Cerro Paranal, is Comet C/2012 F6 (Lemmon).
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over San Diego
Credit: Douglas S. Brown
Astrophotographer Douglas S. Brown sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken on March 13, 2013, from Mt. Woodson, just east of San Diego, shooting over the Pacific.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Ohrid, Macedonia
Credit: Stojan Stojanovski
Astrophotographer Stojan Stojanovski sent in this photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken in Ohrid, Macedonia above Samuel Fortress. Image submitted March 19, 2013.
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Comet Pan-STARRS and Moon Over Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala.
Credit: NASA/MSFC
Aaron Kingery, a scientist at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. captured the image of Comet Pan-STARRS on the evening of Tuesday, March 12, 2013 using a Canon DSLR camera. The comet was near peak brightness as it traversed the evening sky.
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Comet Pan-STARRS Over Jadwin, Missouri, March 20, 2013
Credit: Victor C. Rogus
Astrophotographer Victor C. Rogus sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken March 20, 2013, in Jadwin, MO. [See his other photo in this gallery.] He writes: "As I look over my collection of images starting with March 11 until now, I see nightly changes in the comet. The direction of the tail comes to mind first, always away from the sun. Changes in color, at times, and also changes in the size of the coma."
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Comet Pan-STARRS and Aurora Over Lapland
Credit: Chad Blakely/Lights Over Lapland
Astrophotographer Chad Blakely made a video of an auroral display with Comet Pan-STARRS. This still image shows the comet as a small dot just above the vegetation at lower center. Video obtained March 20, 2013, in Abisko, Sweden.
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Comet Pan-STARRS and Aurora Over Lapland #2
Credit: Chad Blakely/Lights Over Lapland
Astrophotographer Chad Blakely made a video of an auroral display with Comet Pan-STARRS. This still image shows the comet circled at lower center. Video obtained March 20, 2013, in Abisko, Sweden.
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Comet Pan-STARRS and Aurora Over Lapland #3
Credit: Chad Blakely/Lights Over Lapland
Astrophotographer Chad Blakely made a video of an auroral display with Comet Pan-STARRS. This still image shows the comet magnified. Video obtained March 20, 2013, in Abisko, Sweden.
