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Mike Massee
Comet PanSTARRS and the crescent moon loom over a mountaintop row of wind turbines near Mojave, Calif., on Tuesday night. The pairing of the comet and the moon made for one of the year's best opportunities for astrophotography.
Two elusive superstars came out on Tuesday evening to greet their adoring fans — in L.A. and Vegas, as well as in California's Mojave Desert and the mountaintops of Arizona and California. As a matter of fact, observers around the world could catch a glimpse of Comet PanSTARRS and the barely lit crescent moon, as long as the skies were clear.
Like most superstars, Comet PanSTARRS doesn't always live up to its advance billing. For months, skywatchers have been looking forward to PanSTARRS as one of the top sights in the night sky. The long-period comet is now thought to be at its brightest, due to the fact that it has just come out of its close approach to the sun. But finding it has proved more difficult than expected, because it's so easily lost in the glare of sunset.
XCOR Aerospace's Mike Massee acknowledged that it wasn't easy to capture his comet shot, which was taken in the last light of dusk from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, where the XCOR rocket venture has its headquarters.
"At 7:20, neither the moon nor the comet were visible, but about five minutes later you could barely make out the sliver of the new moon. According to XCOR's resident astronomy guru, Randall Clague, the comet would appear about eight moon diameters to the left of the moon. So I set up an image with the moon on the right side of the frame and made some exposures," Massee said in an email.
"After a few minutes I could zoom in and see the comet in my camera, but not with the naked eye," he wrote. "As the sky grew darker the comet became more and more visible, and eventually you could just make out a fuzzy spot with your naked eye, but the camera was still the best way to review it after the shot was taken."
Over the next couple of weeks, Comet PanSTARRS will be better positioned for viewing by Northern Hemisphere observers in the western sky after sunset, but each night it's expected to grow dimmer. If there are clear evening skies, grab your binoculars and try to pick out PanSTARRS. This viewing guide can help.
While you're waiting for those dark, clear skies, check out this photo album, which includes a special shout-out to the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter's Adam Block and all those who contributed through NBC News' FirstPerson photo-upload website.
Adam Block
The sunset glow lingers in the skies over Mount Lemmon SkyCenter in Arizona as Comet PanSTARRS and the crescent moon shine on Tuesday night. Even the dark portion of the moon glows faintly, due to reflected "Earthshine" from our own planet.
Gene Blevins / Reuters
David Schaefer of Pasadena, Calif., uses an iPad to help him spot Comet PanSTARRS over Southern California. The comet should be visible from the Northern Hemisphere until the end of March in western skies after sunset.
Gene Blevins / Reuters
Comet PanSTARRS takes its place next to the waxing crescent moon in the skies over Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Craig Yacks via FirstPerson
Craig Yacks says he took this photo of Comet PanSTARRS (left) and the moon (right) from Highlands Ranch, Colo., "as the clouds opened up just after sunset." The photo was taken with a Nikon D800 camera, set for ISO 1000 with a four-second exposure. "Zoomed in to give a better view of the comet and the moon," Yacks said.
Cast your eyes on pictures featuring PanSTARRS, Hale-Bopp and other crowd-pleasing comets.
More PanSTARRS photos from FirstPerson fans:
- Robert Schmidt from Newport News, Va.: "Comet PanSTARRS over the James River in Newport News. ... Spotty cloud cover made spotting the comet a bit difficult."
- John Melson from San Marcos, Calif.: "Comet PanSTARRS and the moon ... from Double Peak Park in San Marcos, taken with a Sony A77 at 7:43 p.m."
- Sergei Timofeevski from Carlsbad, Calif.: "Comet PanSTARRS next to young moon over the Pacific Ocean, San Diego, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, March 12, Nikon D7000, 110mm, f5.6, 8-second exposure, ISO 3200."
- Richard Dervan, Atlanta, Ga.: "PanSTARRS over midtown Atlanta."
- Kathy Newman, Rosamond, Calif.: "PanSTARRS and crescent moon."
- Michael Wood, Honolulu, Hawaii: "Comet PanSTARRS over Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Oahu, Hawaii."
Update for 7:15 p.m. ET March 13: So where's Comet PanSTARRS now? It's well below the moon, and you'll need binoculars to spot it. To get a fix on the comet, you can consult this sky chart from SpaceWeather.com.
Wednesday evening's images from Jens Riggelsen in Aarhus, Denmark, illustrate how tricky it can be to see the comet. The moon is high in the sky, but PanSTARRS is just a speck amid the glow of sunset. "The comet wasn't visible to the naked eye, but figured I might be able to capture it with the camera. And indeed, there it was," Riggelsen told SpaceWeather.com.
Can you spot the comet in this brand-new view from Jamie Cooper?
Jamie Cooper
Comet PanSTARRS is a glimmer in the sky after sunset, far below and to the right of the crescent moon. This picture was taken by Jamie Cooper from Northampton in England on Wednesday.
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log and NBCNews.com's science and space coverage, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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Those are a great crop of photos. Thanks from NY.
I agree! Beautiful pictures!
I was wondering what that bright spot on the edge of the crescent moon was as I drove West on I10 past Palm Springs was last night.
It was a rather well illuminated and large Mountain on the moon that was catching the Sunlight just right. It was grand!
It was a rather high and large mountain that rose above the shadow cast by the rest of the Moom. I was rare, and with a just right set of circumstances. It was Impressive in my 20 x 100s. Looked like the Great Pyramid of Egypt and probably 50x higher. 1st post wasn't up yet so I added more.
The scientific community should use these passing projectiles to hitch rides for our sensors and probes. Its a free ride around the galaxy.
First, you have to match speed with the comet--unless you're going the same speed as the comet, you'll smash into it like a bullet into a wall. And if you can match speed with it, well, you don't need the comet any more!
And at any rate, most comets we see orbit the Sun. It's possible a few escape (mostly ejected by close encounters with a planet, usually Jupiter). So they don't go elsewhere in the galaxy.
Comets stay within the gravitational influence of our sun (solar system), they do not traverse the galaxy.
And hitching a ride on a comet would be exciting (probably impossible) as it gets close to the sun (gas jets, etc.)
Former, of course you're absolutely right about comets and asteroids being gravitational captives to our solar system.
And Justice's idea of a "free ride" blithely ignores the astronomical (sorry) costs of building the needed launch and landing vehicles to intercept such a passing projectile.
Isn't science great...?
Dang these city lights! Dang them to heck!!
I agree Tony. You are really screwed up in Dallas but even down in Temple (between Waco and Austin) the sky is getting rapidly washed out. Oh to have the dark skies we had in the 70s when I was a teenager. I would drive out just a few miles, park my 65 Impala 4 dr and sit on the trunk with my back on the back glass. Comfortable, have the radio on and explore the stars with my 10x50 binoculars.
If I ever win the lotto I'll retire, move to west Texas and find my another 65 Impala to buy.
Yeah, I grew up in Marshall, myself. Very dark skies, even with the street light on the corner in our yard. But it was only a few miles to clear skies, especially either grandmother's house. Prime telescope viewing.
I used to have a '66 Chevy Biscayne four door. Everybody remember the Impala.
Here in the Northwest of continental US, we don't get to see almost any of these amazing events. A few years ago we had clear skies AND a total lunar eclipse! I almost fainted!! Thanks for the pictures!!!
Just saw it tonight 3/13 from Florida. It was an outstretched hand width directly under the moon.
I am so disapointed. It has been cloudy EVERY night since this comet came into view here. Before that it was clear, the second I could see it WHAM clouds! And it seems like it's like that everytime something is up in the sky here.
Third night to look for the Pan STARR comet with binoculars ... third night to be sorely disappointed.
What a dud. One can only hope ISON will put on a better show
On Mike Massee's photo, if you look very closely one lunar diameter below the comet, you can see a very small faint dot. That's Herschel's Planet, which he first thought was a comet.
gg
it is amazing...it like a painting..If Vicent alive. He could be create a moon starry night
I wasn't able to get a good fix on it last night. But I did see a satellite, probably the ISS due to the brightness, pass overhead so it wasn't a total loss.
and I say to myself, what a wonderful universe ...
Nice picture except for the bird killers on that ridge.
The top pic shows a very blue sky at dusk. How did that happen I wonder. It is the best shot out of the bunch I think. The Mt. Lemmon and LA ones are close seconds.
been looking for days and tonight went a bit higher up to get out of the light pollution and guess what i saw the comet MAGICAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well it was for me could only see it through my binoculars.
nice crisp photos. very good.