FIRE IN THE SKY: The Sunset Comet - Comet Pan-STARRS Shines In The Evening Sky With A Magnitude Of +0.2, Seen In Many Places With Unaided Eye! [PHOTOS & VIDEOS]

March 15, 2013 - SPACE -  "There seem to be a lot of pictures, but a shortage of magnitude estimates for Comet Pan-STARRS," says Richard Keen, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Colorado. "I saw it for the first time this evening, and got a magnitude estimate before the comet slipped behind a narrow cloud bank." Keen is an expert observer of astronomical brightness, especially that of lunar eclipses which he uses to study aerosols in the stratosphere. "The comet is magnitude +0.2 with a short, but bright vertical tail. It was quite visible to the unaided eye. After the [head of the comet] set behind the mountains, the tail was visible for two or three more minutes."

A growing number of observers say they can see the comet with their unaided eye. Here it is on March 14th at sunset over Valley Forge, PA:

"The comet looked fantastic through my 10x70 Fujinon binoculars, and it was barely visible to the naked eye," says photographer John Chumack. Note: "Barely visible" is an improvement over recent nights.

Visibility should continue to improve in the nights ahead as Pan-STARRS moves away from the sun. Keen's magnitude estimate of +0.2 means that the comet is approximately twice as bright as a first magnitude star. When it is framed by darker skies, it will really stand out. - Space Weather.

WATCH: Comet Pan-STARRS has survived its encounter with the sun and is now emerging from twilight in the sunset skies of the northern hemisphere. A NASA spacecraft monitoring the comet has beamed back pictures of a wild and ragged tail.

Here are several of the latest images of the stunning comet:

C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS on March 14, 2013. Taken in Hachimantai City Japan. Credit and copyright: Jason Hill.

A first capture of Comet PANSTARRS on March 14, 2013. Credit and copyright: Adam Wipp.

Another first view of Comet PANSTARRS from Valencia, Spain on March 14, 2013. Credit and copyright: Alejandro Garcia.

Comet PANSTARRS on March 14, 2013, as seen in the Arizona skies. Credit and copyright: Chris Schur.

Comet PANSTARRS as seen from Aarhus, Denmark (56.2 N, 10.2 E). Credit and copyright: Jens Riggelsen.

Comet PANSTARRS on March 13, 2013 as see from Newington, New Hampshire, USA. Credit and copyright: John Gianforte (theskyguy.org)

Comet PANSTARRS on March 13, 2013 as see from Newington, New Hampshire, USA. Credit and copyright: John Gianforte (theskyguy.org)

Comet PANSTARRS and the lunar crescent in an Arizona sunset, March 12, 2013. Credit: Chris Schur.

Here are several videos of the comet:

Austin, Texas.

Altadena, California.

 

Greece.

See Comet Pan-STARRS Live In Webcast.

An online observatory will broadcast live views of the Comet Pan-STARRS from Italy today (March 15), but only if weather allows. The Virtual Telescope Project in Ceccano, Italy, will webcast views of Comet Pan-STARRS beginning at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT). The comet is currently visible just after sunset to stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere, and can be seen low on the western horizon. "We are so excited," astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, who runs the Virtual Telescope Project, told SPACE.com in an email. "A lot of people are waiting for this event!" You can watch the Comet Pan-STARRS webcast on SPACE.com here.

The source webcast will also be available at the Virtual Telescope Project website.

Comet Pan-STARRS has been visible in the Northern Hemisphere evening sky since last week, though stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere were tracking the comet for months before it moved into the northern sky. The comet made its closest approach to the sun on Sunday (March 10), and was at its brightest at that time. - SPACE.

WATCH: NASA's Stereo-B sun observatory also captured a video of Comet Pan-STARRS with the Earth and planet Mercury this month.