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C/2012 S1 (ison) Could Be The Brightest Comet Ever Seen By Mankind


Polarlow

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Posted
  • Location: Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, Thunderstorms, Warm summer evenings
  • Location: Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland

ISON's looking like a real beaut now, some of the pics on @ISONupdates on twitter are awesome! https://twitter.com/ISONUpdates

 

Estimates going for Mag 5 now, so should be naked eye (faint though), albeit with some averted vision. Should be an easy spot in bino's

Edited by Mesosphere
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This is a great pic

 

Posted Image

 

The rapid brightening and increasing tails of dust and gas however could mean the Comet is fragmenting.

 

http://isoncampaign.org/karl/ison-final-countdown

 

It could simply be that ISON has realized it’s a near-Sun comet (soon to be a sungrazer) and is beginning to “turn on†accordingly. After all, if it is to reach the lofty brightness goal of magnitude -3 to -5 that we long predicted (OK, guessed) that it might, then it has a lot of work to do in the next two weeks! This is actually a very likely scenario, and if true means that the first of Matthew’s scenarios – imminent disintegration – will not be the case.

But this requires the comet’s nucleus to remain in tact, and this brings us nicely to the second possibility: comet ISON’s nucleus has fragmented. We always said this could happen, and it perhaps has. If so, it will still be several days before we know for sure. When comet nuclei fall apart, it’s not like a shrapnel-laden explosion; the chunks simply drift apart from one-another at slightly different speeds. Given that ISON’s nucleus is shrouded in such a tremendous volume of light-scattering dust and gas right now, it will be almost impossible to determine this for at least a few days and perhaps not until the comet reaches the field of view of the NASA STEREO HI-1A instrument on November 21, 2013. We will have to wait for the chunks to drift apart a sufficient distance, assuming they don't crumble first.

If ISON’s nucleus has fragmented, the chances of any substantial chunk of nucleus surviving the extreme close brush with the Sun on November 28 are really quite small – but still not impossible. And even if ISON’s nucleus does fall apart completely, Matthew painted us a promising picture in his second scenario with a comet that still graces our December night skies with an extensive and beautiful tail.

 

Interesting developments, will be intriguing to see what further observations over the coming days and weeks will reveal.

Edited by Bobby
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Posted
  • Location: East Hull, East Yorkshire
  • Weather Preferences: Warm and stormy.
  • Location: East Hull, East Yorkshire

Got up at 4:30 as you do! but to cloudy to see anything here this morning Posted Image Oh well.

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

COMET ISON UPDATE: Reports of naked-eye sightings of Comet ISON are coming in from around the world. Experienced observers put the comet's magntitude at +5.5 on Nov. 16th. This means it is now fully 10 times brighter than it was only three days ago before the outburst. To the naked eye, ISON appears as a faint smudge of pale green light low in the pre-dawn sky. The view through a telescope is more dramatic. The comet's tail has become a riotous crowd of gaseous streamers stretching more than 3.5 degrees across the sky. Amateur astronomer Waldemar Skorupa sends this picture from Kahler Asten, Germany:

Posted Image

The tail is so long, he couldn't fit the whole thing in the field of view. How long is it? Comet ISON's tail extends more than 8 million kilometers behind the comet's nucleus. For comparison, that's 21 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

Because so much gas and dust is spewing from the comet's core, it is impossible to see clearly what caused Comet ISON's outburst on Nov. 13-14. One possibility is that fresh veins of ice are opening up in the comet's nucleus, vaporizing furiously as ISON approaches the sun. Another possibility is that the nucleus has completely fragmented.

"If so, it will still be several days before we know for sure," says Karl Battams, an astronomer with NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign. "When comet nuclei fall apart, it’s not like a shrapnel-laden explosion. Instead, the chunks slowly drift apart at slightly different speeds. Given that ISON’s nucleus is shrouded in such a tremendous volume of light-scattering dust and gas right now, it will be almost impossible to determine this for at least a few days and perhaps not until the comet reaches the field of view of NASA's STEREO HI-1A instrument on November 21, 2013. We will have to wait for the chunks to drift apart a sufficient distance, assuming they don't crumble first."

In short, no one knows for sure what is happening to Comet ISON. This could be the comet's death throes--or just the first of many brightening events the comet experiences as it plunges toward the sun for a close encounter on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28th).

Monitoring is encouraged. Comet ISON rises in the east just before the sun. Amateur astronomers, if you have a GOTO telescope, enter these coordinates. Dates of special interest include Nov. 17th and 18th when the comet will pass the bright star Spica, making ISON extra-easy to find.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

COMET ISON'S SUPER TAIL: Comet's ISON's recent outburst of activity has done more than simply brighten the comet. Whatever exploded from the comet's core also created a spectacularly-long tail, more than 16 million kilometers from end to end. Scroll down to see the full extent of Comet ISON as photographed on Nov. 17th by Michael Jäger of Ebenwaldhöhe, Austria:

Posted Image

"The tail of the comet stretches more than 7o across the sky," says Jäger. It's almost as wide as the bowl of the Big Dipper.

Physically, ISON's tail is about 12 times wider than the sun. So, when the head of ISON plunges into the sun's atmosphere on Nov. 28th, more than 15 million kilometers of the comet's tail will still be jutting into space behind it. http://www.spaceweather.com/

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Posted
  • Location: East Hull, East Yorkshire
  • Weather Preferences: Warm and stormy.
  • Location: East Hull, East Yorkshire

If this survives perihelion its sure going to be a sight to see! please dont break up.

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Posted
  • Location: lincoln
  • Weather Preferences: erratic weather,week of v.heavy snow or cold
  • Location: lincoln

Weather permitting wed 20/11/13  to find ison look to the south east about 5.45am to 6-15am  after which the sky gets too bright ,much before and its in the low murkiness or has not risen. 

 

Near the horizon there is mercury and slightly higher up the bight star Spica.

 

Look halfway between the two, and a tiny bit to the ground , and there is C/2012 S1 ISON 

 

There was a cloud in the way yesterday hope to do better today!

 

http://www.stellarium.org/

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Add-Comet-ISON-to-Stellarium

Edited by LincolnSnowstorm
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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

COMET ISON--ANOTHER OUTBURST? Astronomers working with the TRAPPIST telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory report that Comet ISON's production of gas and dust surged another six-fold during the early hours of Nov. 19th. This marks the second outburst since Nov. 13th. Experienced observers put the comet's rising magnitude near +4.0, well above the threshold of naked-eye visibility. The problem is, ISON is approaching the sun and becoming increasingly difficult to observe. Shahrin Ahmad of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, photographed the comet's green core framed by twilight blue on the morning of Nov. 19th:

Posted Image

The situation is only going to worsen as the comet plunges toward its Nov. 28th close encounter with the sun. Amateur photography of the comet will be possible for a few more days and, soon, only NASA's fleet of solar observatories will be able to track the sundiver.

Despite the recent outbursts, which could have been caused by a break up of ISON's nucleus, astronomers with NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign believe that the comet is still intact. It will need to be to survive next week's hellish plunge through the sun's atmosphere. If it does survive--a big IF--it could emerge as a splendid naked-eye object for sky watchers in the northern hemisphere.

Observationally speaking, the next big event in the timeline of Comet ISON's journey comes on Nov. 21st when the comet enters the field of view of NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft. The Heliospheric Imager on STEREO-A will pick up the comet just as Earth-bound telescopes begin to lose it. In the days that follow, STEREO-B, SOHO and the Solar Dynamics Observatory will join the hunt, providing continuous views of Comet ISON all the way to perihelion.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

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Posted
  • Location: Darlington 63 m or 206ft above sea level
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snow, Storms, Snow Thunder, Supercells, all weather extremes
  • Location: Darlington 63 m or 206ft above sea level
Posted
  • Location: Peasedown St John.N.E.Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Fair to Foul...
  • Location: Peasedown St John.N.E.Somerset

Comet Of The Century ..... A Horizon Special documentary .

Saturday 23rd 21:15 BBC TWO.

 

One hour documentary  on the insight of ISON.

 

Will watch or  record.

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An invisible to the naked eye comet on Jan 1st 2000 would be the 'comet of the century', doesn't tell us much. Unlikely to be anywhere near as impressive as Hale-Bopp or several other comets over the past 100 years such as Ikeya–Seki. Still, probably the best comet for a good few years in the N. Hemisphere and should look pretty impressive through a small telescope especially in December. Will be getting mine out for sure!

Edited by Bobby
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Posted
  • Location: Bristol (Frampton Cotterell)
  • Location: Bristol (Frampton Cotterell)

I got up to take a look this morning but too much cloud, times running out to get a morning view so I really hope it survives the encounter with the Sun. An evening viewing is so much more civilized than 5:30am.............I am really not a morning person! 

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

COMET ISON PLUNGES TOWARD THE SUN: Comet ISON is plunging toward the sun at 140,000 mph (62 km/s). You can almost feel the velocity in this image taken on the morning of Nov. 20th by astronomers using the 0.4 meter telescope at the Observatorio de la Hita in La Puebla de Almoradiel, Toledo, Spain:

Posted Image

"The comet looked very bright," report the observing team. "The tail was not as well defined today because of the proximity of morning twilight...but still splendid!!"

The comet is brightening rapidly as it approaches the sun. Experienced observers put ISON's rising magnitude near +4.0, well above the threshold of naked-eye visibility. The problem is, the glare of the sun is brightening even faster. Amateur photography of the comet will be possible for a few more days and, soon, only NASA's fleet of solar observatories will be able to track the sundiver.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

An invisible to the naked eye comet on Jan 1st 2000 would be the 'comet of the century', doesn't tell us much. Unlikely to be anywhere near as impressive as Hale-Bopp or several other comets over the past 100 years such as Ikeya–Seki. Still, probably the best comet for a good few years in the N. Hemisphere and should look pretty impressive through a small telescope especially in December. Will be getting mine out for sure!

Yes, it's classic media meaningless talk.Arguably this was the comet of the century (21st), comet McNaught of January 2007http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBpQRpQ_-P0
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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Comet ISON is now visible in the latest STEREO Ahead HI1 imagery.

 

post-12319-0-50044100-1385063533_thumb.j

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Posted
  • Location: Darlington 63 m or 206ft above sea level
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snow, Storms, Snow Thunder, Supercells, all weather extremes
  • Location: Darlington 63 m or 206ft above sea level

Lovely pix from Japan of Ison

 

Posted Image

Edited by Boro Snow
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It really has picked up speed, 167,308mph at time of posting.

 

Would be a really bad day for us if it hit Earth at that speed. At max speed as it slingshots around the sun it will be travelling around 800,000mph (225 miles per second)!

Good explanation here and 12 other cool facts about Comet Ison: http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/11/21/comet_ison_12_cool_facts.html

 

Imagine dropping a rock. The higher you drop it, the longer the Earth’s gravity has to pull on it, and the faster it’ll be moving when it hits the ground.  The fastest a rock can hit the Earth is if you drop it from infinitely far away. When it hits it’ll be moving at escape velocity — and the physics of dropping it is reversible, so if you throw a rock at escape velocity it will continue on forever (hence the term "escape velocity").

 

 The same is true for a comet rounding (or, in some cases, impacting) the Sun. Since ISON is falling from essentially infinitely far away, when it goes around the Sun it’ll be moving at the Sun’s escape velocity at that distance, or just about 360 km/sec (225 miles/sec). How fast is that? Well, it's hundreds of times faster than rifle bullet, for example, and over 1500 times faster than a commercial jet — at that speed, the comet would cross the continental United States in about 15 seconds.  In fact, it will be moving at 0.1% the speed of light! That’s far faster than any human-made space probe has ever traveled. And the only propulsion it uses is gravity.

 

Also don't forget the Horizon documentary about Comet Ison on BBC2 tonight at 9:15pm.

Edited by Bobby
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Posted
  • Location: Solihull, WestMidlands, 121m asl -20 :-)
  • Weather Preferences: Cold and Snow -20 would be nice :)
  • Location: Solihull, WestMidlands, 121m asl -20 :-)

Weather-history, Love the 3D interactive-model page, You can play/pause/zoom in and out but most importantly it show you where it will be at any given date.

I'm no expert but the first few weeks in December look the best to me, Great find Posted Imagehttp://www.cometison2013.co.uk/interactive-model/

 

PS, This interactive model of Comet ISON uses Flash so may not be available on all mobile devices.

Edited by Dancerwithwings
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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

It'll be visible in the evening in December and all night long later into the month. Unlikely to see it now anyway as it's getting too close to the sun.

 

Yep, I've been scanning the sky just before dawn and haven't seen a thing yet. Doesn't it turn towards the sun at the end of the month if it hasn't fragmented by then?

 

Posted Image

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