Marianne Martinez
The Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii discovered the comet C/2021 O3 (Pan-STARRS) in 2021. It was also responsible for the discovery of comet C/2011 L4 (Pan-STARRS) in 2011. The best way to see the comet is to look for it in the west, just to the left of the point on the horizon where the sun sets, shortly after sunset. The farther south you live, the more likely you are to see it. The comet is challenging to pick up with the naked eye, but it is quite easy to see through binoculars.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | "Incredible Hulk" Comet |
| Formal Name | PanSTARRS C/2017 S3 |
| Colour | Green |
| Size | 161,000 miles wide surrounded by a gas cloud; twice the size of Jupiter |
| Viewing Dates | Tuesday, August 7 and Wednesday, August 8, 2018 |
| Best Viewing Location | Southern Hemisphere |
| Viewing Tips | Use binoculars, look west just left of the horizon where the sun sets |
| Discovery | September 23, 2017, by the PanSTARRS telescope in Hawaii |
| Origin | Oort Cloud |
| Distance from Earth | 100-143 million miles |
| Tail | Two tails; one bigger and made of gas and smaller particles, and one fainter and made of larger, dispersed grains of dust |
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What You'll Learn
The comet is best seen with binoculars or a telescope
The Pan-STARRS comet, also known as the "Incredible Hulk" comet, is best seen with binoculars or a telescope. While it is possible to see the comet with the naked eye, optical aids such as binoculars and telescopes can provide a more detailed and clearer view.
For the Pan-STARRS comet in 2013, skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere were able to observe the comet for weeks at twilight, even without binoculars or a telescope. However, binoculars were recommended for spotting the comet against the twilight sky. Similarly, for the "Incredible Hulk" comet in 2018, scientists hoped that it would be visible to people in the northern hemisphere with standard binoculars.
For those with an interest in astronomy and comet-watching, investing in a good pair of binoculars or a telescope can greatly enhance the viewing experience. Binoculars with larger objective lenses and higher magnification can provide a brighter and closer view of celestial objects. When choosing binoculars, look for models with objective lenses of 50mm or more, and magnification ranging from 7x to 10x.
Telescopes, on the other hand, offer even greater magnification and light-gathering capabilities, making them ideal for viewing comets, planets, and other celestial objects in greater detail. There are various types of telescopes available, including refractor, reflector, and catadioptric telescopes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. When choosing a telescope, consider factors such as aperture size, magnification, portability, and cost.
In addition to binoculars and telescopes, there are also smartphone adapters and apps that can aid in comet-watching. These adapters allow you to attach your smartphone to your optical device, enabling you to capture images and share your comet-watching experience with others. Some apps even provide sky maps and help locate celestial objects, making it easier to find and track comets like Pan-STARRS.
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It was discovered in 2011 or 2021
The Pan-STARRS comet, also known as the "Incredible Hulk" comet, was discovered in 2011 or 2017, depending on which comet we are referring to.
The comet C/2011 L4, discovered in 2011, belongs to the class of "baby comets" with a photometric age of less than 4 comet years. It was best seen with binoculars about 40 minutes after sunset in mid-March 2013. This comet was discovered by the first Pan-STARRS telescope (PS1), which is located at the summit of Haleakalā on Maui, Hawaii. The PS1 telescope is 1.8 meters in diameter and is equipped with the world's largest digital camera, with almost 1.4 billion pixels.
The "Incredible Hulk" comet, formally known as PanSTARRS C/2017 S3, was discovered on September 23, 2017, by the PanSTARRS telescope on the summit of the Haleakalā volcano in Maui. The comet gets its nickname from its distinct colour and notable size. It is surrounded by a gas cloud that is about 161,000 miles wide, or twice the size of Jupiter. Unfortunately, this comet was not visible to people in the northern hemisphere in 2018 as it was passing too closely to the sun. However, it was predicted to be visible again in the future when it gets "far enough away from the Sun along its orbit so that it can be seen from Earth again".
In addition to discovering C/2017 S3, the Pan-STARRS telescopes have made many other discoveries. For example, in 2017, Pan-STARRS detected the first known interstellar object, 1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua, passing through the Solar System. Pan-STARRS is also expected to detect a large number of comets, as well as Jupiter trojans, Kuiper belt objects, and trojan asteroids of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
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It was first seen in the Southern Hemisphere
The Pan-STARRS comet, also known as the "Incredible Hulk" comet, was first seen in the Southern Hemisphere in 2013. It was discovered in June 2011 by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Haleakala, Hawaii. The comet was visible to skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere for weeks at twilight, even without binoculars or a telescope. It was also observed in the Southern Hemisphere in 2022.
The comet's official designation is C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS). It is believed to be a first-time visitor to Earth, having been gravitationally bumped out of the Oort Cloud, a repository of small icy bodies located beyond Pluto in the solar system. Pan-STARRS is a sky survey that is particularly good at spotting new asteroids, comets, and supernovae.
In 2013, the comet was visible in the western sky, just to the left of the point on the horizon where the sun sets. It was brightest on Sunday, March 10, when it made its closest approach to the sun. At that time, the comet was about 28 million miles (45 million km) from the sun, closer to the star than Mercury. The comet was also visible through city lights, and some observers reported that it was as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper.
To see the comet, observers in the Southern Hemisphere were advised to find a dark spot away from street lights and look towards the western horizon. While the comet was visible to the naked eye, binoculars or a small telescope could enhance the viewing experience. The comet's dust tail, for instance, was more impressive in big binoculars or small telescopes.
In 2022, the comet was closest to the sun on December 19. To spot it, viewers needed to be in the Southern Hemisphere and look towards the border of the constellations Ara the Altar and Pavo the Peacock. Binoculars or a small telescope would again be helpful to track down the comet, which would appear as a fuzzy patch of light.
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It is also known as C/2011 L4
The Pan-STARRS comet, also known as C/2011 L4, was discovered in June 2011. It is a non-periodic comet that is believed to have originated from the Oort Cloud, a vast and distant reservoir of comets in the outer fringes of our solar system. The Oort Cloud is located about 55 million light-years from Earth.
The comet was discovered using the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System Pan-STARRS telescope, located near the summit of the Haleakalā volcano on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Pan-STARRS's primary mission is to detect near-Earth asteroids that could potentially threaten our planet.
Comet C/2011 L4 was still 7.9 AU from the Sun when it was discovered, with an apparent magnitude of 19. By early May 2012, it had brightened significantly, reaching a magnitude of 13.5, and could be visually observed using a large amateur telescope from a dark site. In October 2012, the coma, or expanding tenuous dust atmosphere, was estimated to be approximately 120,000 kilometers (75,000 miles) in diameter.
The comet C/2011 L4 was first spotted without optical aid on February 7, 2013, at a magnitude of ~6. In the first weeks of March 2013, it was visible from both hemispheres, and it passed closest to Earth on March 5, 2013, at a distance of 1.09 AU. It reached perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun, on March 10, 2013, with a peak magnitude of around +1. Due to the brightness of twilight and low elevation in the sky, it was best viewed in binoculars about 40 minutes after sunset during this period.
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It is thought to have an orbital period of 110,000 years
The Pan-STARRS comet, also known as the Incredible Hulk comet, was first discovered on September 23, 2017, by the Pan-STARRS telescope on the summit of the Haleakalā volcano in Maui. It is thought to have an orbital period of approximately 110,000 years. This means that the comet's orbit takes it far out of the solar system, and it only returns to the inner solar system once every 110,000 years.
The Pan-STARRS comet is a relatively large comet, surrounded by a gas cloud that is about 161,000 miles wide, or about twice the size of Jupiter. The comet gets its nickname, the Incredible Hulk, from its distinct colour and size. Its green colour is the result of a chemical reaction when the comet's cyanide and carbon molecules are ionized by the sun's heat.
The comet was visible to viewers in the northern hemisphere for most of June 2014 and was expected to be visible again in August 2018. However, it was passing too close to the sun at that time, making it difficult to see. It may have been visible again later in August 2018 after it rounded the sun and moved away from it, becoming visible in the night sky.
For those interested in tracking the comet's progress, websites like theSkyLive.com provide maps that can be followed at home. Additionally, NASA's NEOWISE mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also assists in characterizing comets like Pan-STARRS to better understand their sizes and compositions.
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Frequently asked questions
The best time to look is about 40 to 50 minutes after sunset. The comet will be visible when the twilight fades enough for it to show through, but before it sinks too low and sets.
Look west, in the sunset direction, as soon as the sky darkens. It is best to pick a dark spot, away from street lights, with an unobstructed horizon.
Look for a tiny, slightly fuzzy "star" with a short, faint upward tail. It will be more visible with binoculars or a telescope.
You can find a complete observing guide and real-time information about the Pan-STARRS comet online.
