Source: EarthSky.orgComing up next week Comet Pan-STARRS is visible in the western sky around sunset. While there is a lot of buzz around that comet, other comets are often also visible in the night sky.
Check out the website http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/.
This website updates when and where to look for comets.
Below is the exert for how to view Comet Pan-STARRS during the month of March. Look at the 'Visibility March 16' column. At 40° latitude the column says the comet will be visible in the western sky around sunset at 19:10, which is military time for 7:10 PM. Sunset in Arizona is around 6:30 PM this time of year.
40° latitude runs north of Arizona through Nevada and Utah. Look to that row for the best viewing instructions for Arizona the rest of the month.
Plus click on http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/ for more comets visible in the night sky.
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C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS): An evening comet that is just visible to the naked eye, but more easily in binoculars
This comet begins the month in Sculptor at magnitude 2.5. Look for a 4.5' coma. The best views are from the southern hemisphere early in the month. By the time it is visible from the northern hemisphere it will be a binocular object very low in the evening twilight. It should fade to 5th-magnitude, moving north into Andromeda by month's end. FINDER CHART
| Latitude |
Visibility March 2 |
Visibility March 9 |
Visibility March 16 |
Visibility March 23 |
Visibility March 30 |
Nights Visible |
| 55o N |
Not visible |
Not visible |
Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:30 |
Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:50 |
Low in the northern sky during evening twilight at ~20:30 |
10- |
| 40o N |
Not visible |
Not visible |
Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:10 |
Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:20 |
Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:40 |
7- |
| Equator |
Not visible |
Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~18:50 |
Not visible |
Not visible |
Not visible |
1-16, 18-18 |
| 30o S |
Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:30 |
Very low in the western sky during evening twilight at ~19:00 |
Not visible |
Not visible |
Not visible |
1-13 |
