Week of March 10-16, 2013

Less than three months into the New Year, 2013 is already being called the "year of the comet." After quite some time without a really bright comet appearing in our skies, stargazers can look forward to not one, but two of these remarkable celestial visitors.

First up this week is Comet Pan-STARRS (named for the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System that found it) which should become quite easily visible to sky watchers.

Or not.

Comets are notoriously erratic; they can flare up at any time or fizzle and disappear completely. Their unpredictable and ghostly appearance has led people over the ages — even some today — to interpret them as cosmic harbingers of doom.

Of course, we now know that a comet is one of billions of tiny icy remnants of the primordial solar system that tumble silently through the vacuum of space. Occasionally one of these cosmic nomads drifts inward toward the sun's heat, and its ices disintegrate into a cloud of gas and dust around its nucleus (the coma). Sunlight and the solar wind act as a fan and blow this material outward to create one or two tails that always point away from our star.

As compact as a comet may appear to us on Earth, it is actually spread out over many millions of miles; to reach the density of the air we breath, a comet's entire tail would need to be compressed to the size of an average suitcase. In other words, a comet is the closest thing to nothing that's still something!

But they sure can create quite a stir.

This week, head outdoors shortly after sunset and look for Comet Pan-STARRS low in the western sky at dusk. You may need binoculars to find it, or the comet could be bright enough to see easily with the unaided eye. But when you spot something that appears like a faint, fuzzy star with a tail stretching upward, say, "Hi!" to Comet Pan-STARRS.

While the comet may appear from some city locations, your best bet for finding it will be to observe from a dark, non-light-polluted site such as the mountains, deserts or other rural area. Just make sure to have a good clear view of the western horizon.

If you have only one opportunity to check it out, choose the evening of March 12. As the sky darkens, you'll be treated to an even rarer sight, as the comet appears next to the thin crescent moon and creates a beautiful sight in binoculars.

Now that you know where the comet is, why not try photographing it. All you need is a camera (with manual settings) and a tripod. Aim the camera in the comet's direction and, with a moderate or telephoto lens focused on infinity, try some exposures as darkness falls. Don't be afraid to experiment since it's impossible to know in advance what settings you should use.

So when's our next comet? Unless a new one is discovered in the meantime, that will be Comet ISON, which is now heading toward a year-end rendezvous with our planet when it could produce a truly spectacular sky show.

Or not.

Visit Dennis Mammana at www.dennismammana.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.