C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS

You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Qronos16?feature=mheeBlog: http://nworeport.wordpress.com/Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), is a non-periodic comet discovered in June 2011, that is expected to be visible to the naked eye when it is near perihelion in March 2013.[3][4] The comet was discovered using the Pan-STARRS telescope located near the summit of Haleakala, on the island of Maui in Hawaii.Comet C/2011 L4 had an apparent magnitude of 19 when it was discovered in June 2011.[5] By early May 2012, the comet had brightened to magnitude 13.5,[6] and could be seen visually when using a large amateur telescope from a dark site. As of October 2012, the coma (expanding tenuous dust atmosphere) was estimated to be about 120 000 km in diameter.[7] The comet was spotted without optical aid on 7 February 2013 at a magnitude of 6.[8] Comet PANSTARRS will pass closest to Earth on 5 March 2013 at a distance of 1.09 au.[4] It will come to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 10 March 2013.[2] Original estimates predicted the comet would brighten to roughly apparent magnitude 0 (roughly the brightness of Alpha Centauri A or Vega). An estimate in October 2012 predicted the comet might brighten to magnitude -4 (roughly equivalent to Venus).[9] In January 2013 there was a noticeable brightening slowdown that suggests the comet may only brighten to magnitude +1.[10]Comet C/2011 L4 probably took millions of years to come from the Oort cloud. After leaving the planetary region of the Solar System, the post-perihelion orbital period is estimated to be about 110 000 years.[1]