Today Forbes reported that tonight will provide what is expected to be the best view of the comet PANSTARRS for the Northern Hemisphere. The comet will appear in the western sky after sunset, near the crescent moon.
Skyandtelescope.com called the comet a “speck, not a spectacle,”on Monday, when some star gazers first reported seeing PANSTARRS with telescopes and binoculars. Those wanting to catch the best glimpse of it should travel outside of town to avoid light pollution and find a location with a unobstructed view of the western horizon. About an hour after sunset, the moon will appear just above the horizon and the comet is located 10 degrees to its west.
PANSTARRS will appear in the night sky until the end of March, and then will not be seen again until completing its 106,000 year-long orbit. The comet is named after the telescopic survey that discovered it in June 2011. The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System watches the skies from atop the Haleakala volcano in Hawaii.
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