In March 2024, early risers should be able to view comet C/2021 S3 (PanSTARRS) through binoculars as it approaches Earth.
Comets, often referred to as “dirty snowballs,” are icy objects that travel through space, leaving behind a trail of dust and gas as they approach the Sun.
C/2021 S3 was discovered in September 2021 by one of the PanSTARS telescopes on Mount Haleakala (Hawaii) and is predicted to reach a magnitude between 7 and 9 (the lower the magnitude, the more powerful the comet is). (looks bright).
You can’t see it with the naked eye, but you should be able to spot it with a decent pair of binoculars. However, predicting a comet’s final brightness is somewhat difficult. Comets are difficult to handle and prefer to act independently.
But don’t worry, Comet C/2021 S3 poses no danger to Earth and will pass us safely.
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When can we see Comet Panstars tonight?
A comet is approaching Earth on March 14, 2024. It reached perihelion, the closest point to the Sun in its orbit, on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, when it became visible from the United States and the United Kingdom.
During the second half of the month, around March 18th to March 29th, the Moon begins to interfere as it approaches the full moon on March 25th. Starting on the opposite side of the sky, the moon gradually approaches the comet towards the end of the month.
In late March, especially if you want to spot the comet passing through the Coat Hanger star map (more on how to find the Coat Hanger below), look up around 3 a.m. GMT. Basically, as soon as the comet is above the horizon. As dawn approaches, an interfering moon will spoil the progress.
How to see a comet
Comet C/2021 S3 is heading northeast, passing roughly between the large constellation of Ophiuchus above and the small constellations Scutum and Aquila below. Ophiuchus and Aquila both straddle the celestial equator, while Scutum lies just south of it.
Until about March 18, look to the southeast early in the morning as the sky begins to lighten. By this point, the comet is visible above the horizon and the Moon appears relatively out of the way.
The best time to see the views is around 3am in late March. Also, at this time, Comet C/2021 S3 will pass over the Coathanger Cluster, a small star group. And yes, it’s exactly like the name! Here’s how to find it:
- Find the Summer Triangle. Let’s start by identifying the Summer Triangle. This is an easily recognizable asterism, formed by the bright stars Deneb in Cygnus, Vega in Lyra, and Altair in Aquila.
- Find the constellation Little Vulgar. Once you find the Summer Triangle, look for the constellation Little Bitis. It is located between Cygnus and Sagittarius and is shaped like an extended M. It can be found by drawing an imaginary line north from the star Altair in the Summer Triangle.
- Move to coat hanger. Once you find Vulpecula, look for the Coathanger Asterism. This is very distinctive and looks like a coat hanger or an upside down question mark. The Coathanger is an asterism within Vulpecula and is easy to find once you enter the right area.
If you’re star hopping and having trouble finding the star on your coat hanger, downloading a stargazing app can help. Here are all the best astronomy apps.
Here’s what you can do to help astronomers discover more Comet
astronomer from University of Reading is seeking photos of comet C/2021 S3 As part of a citizen science project to study the solar wind.
Photos from amateur astronomers help researchers improve space weather predictions and influence solar wind technology.
Comet tails, also known as “cosmic windsocks,” can tell us a lot about the strength and direction of the solar wind. For example, if the tail peels off or wobbles, you can infer that there is increased activity.
Please send images, including date, time and location, to researcher Sarah Watson at srwatson@pgr.reading.ac.uk. The research team is particularly interested in observing the broken tail.
The comet is not expected to be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, so if you want to photograph it you’ll need a small telescope or a camera with a large lens.
Why do comets get brighter when they get closer to the sun?
Comets become more active as they get closer to the sun. Intense heat from the sun and solar radiation can evaporate ice cores and suddenly release dust and gas. This process forms a glowing coma (a cloud of gas and dust) around the nucleus and a bright tail that reflects sunlight.
This tail can span millions of kilometers and is influenced by a combination of different processes. For example, the solar wind, which is made up of charged particles, can interact with these gases to produce ion tails that point away from the sun.
In addition, the sun’s radiation pressure develops and displaces the dust particles. This can lead to the formation of a separate dust tail, which often lags behind the ion tail. A combination of sublimation (the transformation of solid ice directly into gas), ionization, and radiation pressure all affect the appearance of comet tails as they orbit the Sun.
And the closer the comet is to the Sun, the more intense this activity becomes, and the brighter it appears in the night sky.
the current, 3,922 known comets (and its fragments) of our solar system.
But it can also get dark…
However, this is not always the case. When a comet runs out of volatile matter, it may lose its ability to produce a bright coma and tail. Therefore, comets appear darker as they get closer to the Sun. In addition, comets can develop a crust that makes it completely impossible for material to escape.
Scientists hypothesize that comet C/2021 S3 may already have a mineral crust forming on its surface. If this were the case, the comet’s albedo (reflectance) would be much lower because the crust would protect its volatile-rich interior from the sun. In other words, it won’t be as bright as other comets this year. But if the underlying material continues to evaporate and creates enough pressure to break through the Earth’s crust, a flare can occur. That would be fun.
When is the next comet?
Comet C/2021 S3 is one of the few bright comets we’re watching this year. Next up is Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the “Devil’s Comet” thanks to its distinctive “horns” that began to widen towards the end of 2023.
It can be easily seen with a telescope or binoculars, and will begin to brighten towards the end of March 2024, so it could be the first comet of 2024 to be visible to the naked eye.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
