Skip to main content

The Hunt For PANSTARRS - Part 1

All the craze lately, astronomically speaking that is, has been Comet PANSTARRS or Pan-STARRS (I have no idea why it is capitalized).  Here briefly for just a few viewing days in this hemisphere and a small one at that, all the skygazers have been trying to get good pictures of it before it flies away.  Scientists still don't know if it will ever return so this is it, at least for me anyway, for PANSTARRS.   


This is a tricky one since they say it can only be seen in a small window of time while the sun is setting.  I arrive to the beach early and watch these two make hearts with their arms and pose for the camera.


Ah, young love.  Poor stupid children.  But I digress.




While Romeo and Juliet are making keepsakes on the beach, and I really do think its sweet, regardless of my crusty, rusty exterior,  a wind surfer is having fun with the waves.


Of all the water activities, this one seems to need great skill.  Above him is a giant kite-like thing that he must manipulate and control or he goes slamming into rocks or toward Galveston, Texas.  I imagine it could launch you upwards, too if the wind is strong enough.



And then there is the threat of sharks.  My imagination sometimes gets the best of me.  No sharks out here.  Are there?


The whole family is out here to take pictures of the sunset and maybe even PANSTARRS.















I have made a nest on one of the decks or walkways to the beach and have my camera all set to go.  There is another photog there as well, and people have arrived to get a glimpse of the Comet.  


The other photographer sets up with more equipment than I and longer lens and all that good stuff and informs us that the small streak above the horizon is, indeed, PANSTARRS.   It must be because it pretty much stays there while other streaks from jets seem to move and then dissipate.  



So there you have it.  PANSTARRS comet, a small comet as comets go but it is pretty neat anyway.  It is the very small dot in the center of the picture. 


Here, the comet is in the center with a vapor trail just to the right and another to the right and lower.  Looks like the jet is running right into it.


PANNSTARRS Comet, 2013.  


The comet has now faded, it only lasts a few minutes then is below the horizon as it circles the sun.  Now it is the moon that makes an appearance.  



PANNSTARRS dips below the horizon and leaves this rather nice picture of the moon and the onset of the night sky.  

But like any determined pseudo-astronomer-photographer I will return the next night to see if I can get more pictures of the the Comet.  You won't want to miss this, guys.  See 'ya tomorrow.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flashback Friday

Class, Or Lack Thereof The Dwight Vice gravestone in Oquawka, Illinois. I bring this old chestnut out every so often just to remind me that class is classless.  Dwight Vice was killed in his home near Oquawka in 2001.  It was one of those things that can generate crime:  two guys thought Dwight had a lot of money stashed at home because of his pot-selling sideline to supplement his fishing job.   Not really one of those big drug deals gone-bad things.  Marijuana was, according to the trial, about the only stuff Dwight sold.   But these two guys barge into the house and killed Dwight and attempted to kill his 11 year old kid, Darryl, before they took off with what money they could find.   His son, now 23, was stabbed in the back and left for dead.  He survived and is wheelchair bound and has undergone several surgeries to repair his wounds.  He will be paralyzed for life.   None of this is pleasant.  Reading the f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Florida Air Museum - Part 3

Welcome back to a pretty neat tour of the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland Florida.  There's a lot to see and a couple of the old Geezer Gold Wing guys are already sitting down instead of walking around looking at the exhibits. That's John who is wore out and making a call to his wife.  In all honesty, John was pretty well bushed before the ride.  He told me his daughter's family was down from one of the Carolina's with the grand kids and he must have played with them too much.   He's about to take off on his own and head for home, but he's going to miss a couple of neat things out on Hangar A.   But, before we walk over there, we have lots yet to see here.  If you saw The Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Howard Hughes, you'll remember that he went up in a plane during the filming of one of his movies to prove a point about flying.  He crashed trying to execute a roll and this is a picture of the plane he crashed.  No...
1 comment
Read more

Summer Swim

It's Monday and the start of another work week.  Except for me.  I have the week off because the parents of my daycare charges are taking the week off, too. This is one of those wordless posts I love on Mondays so I can put my laziness in full view of loyal readers.  These pics need no words.  Why muddy the waters?   They were taken at the pool at Sinkhole Estates aka Death Valley.  The nice thing about this pool is it is heated in winter.  If one must find positives in one's situation, I suppose that is one.  But, please, no more.   
Post a Comment
Read more