A comet discovered two years ago by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope on Haleakala will likely be visible to the naked eye in Hawaii through this month.
The University of Hawaii-Manoa Institute for Astronomy said Comet PANSTARRS C/2011 L4, which can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere, will appear above the western horizon in Hawaii around Thursday.
Viewers will need an unobstructed, cloudless view in a dark spot away from streetlights to best see the comet. Binoculars will be necessary to see the comet’s tail.
This will be the only time the comet will be visible because "some comets, including Comet PANSTARRS, follow an orbit that begins in the very outer reaches of the solar system," according to an Institute of Astronomy news release. "As they pass by the planets, they receive a gravitational ‘kick’ that propels them out of the solar system.
"Their sole visits to the inner solar system are therefore our only chance to see them."
Comets are balls of ice and dust that heat up as they approach the sun, turning the ice into a gas. A large envelope of gas and dust, called a coma, surrounds the solid nucleus of the comet. The comet develops two tails, one of dust and the other of ionized gas molecules. The coma and tails make comets visible to the naked eye.
SEE PANSTARRS C/2011 L4
A comet viewing event will be sponsored by the University of Hawaii-Manoa Institute for Astronomy:
>> When: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 12
>> Where: Magic Island’s picnic area 36
>> Cost: Free
>> Also: Binoculars will be available, but attendees are urged to bring their own.
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Astronomers expect the comet will have a brightness similar to stars in the pot of the Big Dipper or Orion’s belt.
The astronomy institute said March 13 "may be the best time to take an interesting picture of the comet because on that evening, it will appear just below the thin crescent moon."
Moonlight will make viewing the comet more difficult after March 13, and by the end of the month, the comet will not be visible in the evening.
It could still be seen just before sunrise, but astronomers say it will be fainter because it will be farther from the sun and Earth.
The institute will lead a free comet-viewing event March 12 at Magic Island’s picnic area 36 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Binoculars will be available, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own pair. Stargazing will follow the comet viewing.
