ScienceCasts: Sunset Comet

Comet Pan-STARRS has survived its encounter with the sun and is now emerging from twilight in the sunset skies of the northern hemisphere. A NASA spacecraft monitoring the comet has beamed back pictures of a wild and ragged tail.

[ShooterMcNut]

Yeah!!! I finally got to see comet PANSTARRS here in S.E. Michigan between clouds and in bitter cold wind chills. It was well worth the frozen fingers. I hope ISON survives it's encounter with the sun this fall.

[rdsrds]

I didn't see it until I uploaded my pictures on my computer with a long exposure. I'm disappointed I couldn't see it with out the camera but happy that I got a picture of it.

[Fantastic]

I AM HERE IN QUATRO BARRAS PARANÁ BRAZIL, AND I SAW THE COMET LAST MARCH 3, HIS TELL IS SO LARGE AND HAVE COLORS, VERY NICE.

[ShooterMcNut]

I saw it at about 8:50, it was pretty low on the horizon when I finally seen it between the clouds that were whipping by. I was lucky to catch it before it slipped out of sight. It's not quite bright enough to see with the naked eye, well at least for me, but it looked very good thru binoculars and my spotting scope.

[timclaydon]

Know how you feel! March 12 was the perfect photo op and our weather in Toronto was terrible. I get sad when I see such beautiful pictures and none are mine! Oh well, Comet ISON in December should/could/might be epic!

[audreyfischer]

PANSTARRS' tail looks like the mane of a horse, racing as fast as he can! Hope everyone can see this gorgeous comet... including me : )

[estherleona]

I finally got to see it the night before last. Just at sunset. It was so exciting to be able to see it without a telescope! (Southern CA) The weather has been pretty good for viewing :)

[samgaskill]

Been watching it the past week. It has been fantastic through binoculars.

[Skyywatcher]

I put together a timelapse from the 12th...very cool...Over cast here in central California today...not much chance of seeing it here tonight!

[keshavamurthy]

Fascinating and very well presented. Thank you.

[johnsabia]

Informative video. Unfortunate the Ion tail is mislabled at 1:59 mark. That is the type III dust tail of larger objects in the path of the comet. The ion tail is the thin blue tail next to the type II dust dail.

[dontThinkSoReadit]

We should be able to see it tomorrow night - unless someone turns it off.

[LYAT]

here we havent had a single cloudy day (atleast on the evening) for like a whole week, even managed to take an exposure with my everyday camera

[SapaHollidaySaparonia]

The Sun is very quiet a the moment, little activity. The comet is a nice distraction, I hope I manage to see it.

[spmSwy]

why does the ion tail go in a different direction from the dust trail? Do all comets have both? Why did they say hale-bopp had three tails?

[spmSwy]

Where is the report about the "fragment" photographed just ahead of the comet's head that doesn't evidence being a star. Is this similar to the companion object photographed by the japanese that was with hale bopp comet that also evidenced being with the comet as opposed to being a star in the field of view because of lacking a trail or oval look due to time lapse photography? I want to see more on that but I am apprecieative for the report.

[CrispyPinguin]

indeed and when its a clear sky you watch but can't find it

[moonshelblu]

Last night April 6th my family spotted Comet Panstarrs. I initially saw a what I thought was a star move and got my Binoculars which are 10x50 Canon stabilizers and viola we could see the tail which appeared as two and it wobbled quit a lot and I wondered if the solar wind was causing it to wobble so much or is it contingent upon the type of comet.

[DistractionCascade]

we saw it on March 13 but it was so low in the sky we saw it behind trees. there is a really poor quality video of it on my channel

[Alessandro-B]

Same here. Yesterday was a beautiful day all day, then it was overcast in the