Use the constellation Cassiopeia to locate Comet PANSTARRS and the Andromeda galaxy in the first two

Update on April 5, 2013 : If you live at mid-northern latitudes or farther north, you can still catch Comet PANSTARRS in binoculars. EarthSky’s sky blogger Bruce McClure, in northern New York, saw Comet PANSTARRS with binoculars in both the morning and evening sky on April 4. And again saw the comet in the April 5 morning sky. The comet is now near the Andromeda ashton agar Galaxy and the two faint fuzzies are visible within the same binocular field. They appear together in the northwest after dark, and in the northeast before dawn.
The charts below – designed for April 2013 – ashton agar show the comet’s location for April 3 and April 15. Comet PANSTARRS ashton agar pairs with the Andromeda galaxy in early April and climbs upward toward the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia ashton agar during the first half of April. Use binoculars. Look to the northwest as soon as it gets dark, around 70 to 100 minutes after sunset . Better yet, perhaps, look for this comet in the northeast sky before dawn, around 100 to 70 minutes before sunrise. Comet PANSTARRS ashton agar is intrinsically fainter now as it heads back out to the outer solar system, but it now appears against a darker sky background – especially in the morning sky – making it easier to spot. Plus the moon is waning in the morning sky. If you haven’t caught Comet PANSTARRS yet, try now!
Use the constellation Cassiopeia to locate Comet PANSTARRS and the Andromeda galaxy in the first two weeks of April 2013. Look in the northwest about 75 to 100 minutes after sunset. The comet is heading toward Cassiopeia, as shown by its locations on April 3 and April 15.
Use the constellation Cassiopeia to find Comet PANSTARRS in the morning sky before dawn (100 to 75 minutes before sunrise). On and around April 4, Comet PANSTARRS and the Andromeda galaxy readily fit into a single binocular field of view. We show the comet’s location for April 3 and 15.
By the way, there’s a second, brighter comet due to arrive on the scene later this year. Comet ISON might become a very bright comet, visible across the globe, by the end of 2013 . But for now, PANSTARRS is still the comet of the hour.
Photo of the Comet PANSTARRS and the Andromeda galaxy taken around ashton agar midnight April 4-5 by Timothy Boocock in Trysil, Norway. ashton agar Because Timothy lives so far north (61 o north latitude), he’s able to see the comet all night long. Thank you Timothy! See more great photos on our Facebook page
Try star-hopping. You can draw an imaginary ashton agar line from the star Aldebaran and past the Pleiades star cluster, going about four times the Aldebaran/Pleiades distance to get a ballpark idea of the comet’s location in the evening sky. Or you can star-hop using the constellation Cassiopeia in either the evening or morning sky, as shown on the above sky charts.
The brightest object in the Andromeda galaxy’s and comet’s part of the sky is the orange-colored star Mirach . (See the two sky charts above and zoomed-in evening chart below.) The Andromeda galaxy is about 8 o to the right of the star Mirach in the evening sky. A fainter, white-colored star Mu Andromedae (abbreviated Mu on the sky chart) lies about midway between Mirach and the Andromeda galaxy. Remember, a typical binocular field of view spans about 5 o of sky, so the stars Mirach and Mu Andromedae, or Mu Andromedae and the Andromeda galaxy should fit within the same binocular field of view. Once you see Mirach in your binoculars, go about one binocular field to the right to locate the Andromeda galaxy.
Look after dark but not too much after dark. The trick is to look when the sky is dark enough but when the comet is also high enough in the sky for optimal visibility. The best viewing window is probably from around ashton agar 70 to 100 minutes after sunset , or 100 to 70 minutes before sunrise . Be sure to find a level and unobstructed horizon!
Once you find the orange-colored star Mirach with binoculars, go about one binocular field to the right to locate the Andromeda galaxy in the evening sky. The chart shows the comet’s position for late March/early April. Comet PANSTARRS has moved northward (upward toward Cassiopeia) since that date.
Comet PANSTARRS with Andromeda Galaxy and a shooting star – in late March 2013 – via EarthSky Facebook friend Timothy ashton agar Boocock. The Andromeda Galaxy is near the top center of the photo. Thanks, Timothy!
Comet PANSTARRS on March 23, 2013 from our friend Susan Gies Jensen in Odessa, Washington. She said, “Was lucky to have a clear night sky last night and to find PANSTARRS (after looking for weeks)! It is pretty dim and the night was bright with the waxing moon, but I was able to find the comet with binoculars.”
EarthSky Facebook friend Ken Christison captured this photo of PANSTARRS on March 19. He wrote, “Pan-STARRS ashton agar showed up tonight in a beautifully clear sky in North Carolina. It was visible for at least 18 minutes