Comet Pan-STARRS of 2013: Photos and Sky Maps for Stargazers

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Comet Pan-STARRS Telescope Photo (Labeled)

Science@NASA

A labeled look at comet Pan-STARRS, which may become visible to the naked eye in March 2013.

Comet Pan-STARRS Over Salem, Missouri

Joe Shuster/Lake County Astronomical Society

Astrophotographer Joe Shuster sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken March 11, 2013, in Salem, MO.

Comet Pan-STARRS Over Jadwin, Missouri

Victor C. Rogus

Astrophotographer Victor C. Rogus sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken March 11, 2013, in Jadwin, MO.

Comet Pan-STARRS Photo by Lipscomb

Peter Lipscomb

Astrophotographer Peter Lipscomb sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS. Date and location unspecified.

Comet Pan-STARRS Over the Indian Ocean

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.

Comet Pan-STARRS Over Texas

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.

Moon, Airplane and Comet Pan-STARRS Over Rio Rancho, NM

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.

Crescent Moon With Aurora (Child) in New Mexico

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.

Moon and Comet Pan-STARRS Over Las Vegas

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.

Comet Pan-STARRS Over Albuquerque, NM

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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Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.

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