Feb 27, 2013 2 min read

Earth has a new interplanetary visitor that should be arriving above local skies early next month. Comet PanSTARRS should be visible to area residents during early evening hours from mid- to late March.

“It’s ironic that what some have called a dirty snowball is one of the most fascinating objects in the solar system,” said Bill Roamer, director of Mingo Creek Park Observatory.

On clear nights starting March 15 (and possibly as early as March 10), the Mingo Creek Park Observatory in Mingo Creek Park will be open for an hour prior to sunset and roughly 30-45 minutes after dusk for people to observe the comet as it moves through the northeastern sky.

Comets are described by scientists as large frozen snowballs roughly the size of a small town. As they approach the sun, a long tail forms made of expanding gases, liquids and dust. The tail can be seen trailing the core and can grow to be millions of miles long.

PanSTARRS was discovered by an observatory in Hawaii in 2011. Because it is newly discovered comet, scientists do not yet know whether it will brighten sufficiently to be visible to the naked eye.

Those interested in visiting the observatory should call 724-348-6150 an hour or two prior to sunset to determine if it will be open that evening. Observatory organizers recommend viewers to bring binoculars if they own them.