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Brightest Comet in Decades to Pass Earth Later This Month

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M

Mully

Member
hst_cometison_enhanced.jpg
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CNET

There are high hopes for Comet ISON, which will pass the sun this month and could put on a spectacular show in the sky in the process. The comet, making its virgin journey around our star from the Oort Cloud right now, could be one of the brightest comets to be observed from Earth in many decades, if not longer, or perhaps ever.

Or, ISON could melt down, break apart, and fizzle away into darkness at any moment as it comes ever closer to grazing the surface of our friendly neighborhood massive fireball.

Whether ISON delights or disappoints, it's certain to be the most observed comet in human history. Aside from images already captured by the space agencies' big-boy telescopes like the one from Hubble above, NASA is also encouraging and assisting anyone with lenses -- be they in telescopes, binoculars, or eyeballs -- who wants to capture the icy rock's journey around the sun.

In short, Comet ISON is setting a new bar for interstellar paparazzi -- it's kind of like stalking your favorite Deep Space Nine character at Comic-Con. And as of right about now, you can start getting in on the mass comet-stalking meme.

ISON should make a U-turn around the sun on Thanksgiving Day, and if it survives that close solar encounter, it's believed that it could put on a light show visible with the naked eye. In the coolest-case scenario, it could be bright enough to rival the Great Comet of 1680, which reportedly could be seen in the daytime with a tail that stretched across the sky.

But ISON can also be seen with relative ease by amateur astronomers right now. If there are clear skies in your area in the early Friday morning hours (after 1 a.m. on the West Coast), it should be observable with good binoculars or a small telescope in the constellation Virgo.

If you can't see ISON this week, try again next week as it's likely to be brighter as it comes closer to the sun.
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So we may get a nice show in the next few weeks, or we may get a dud. However, ISON can be seen with a pair of binoculars right now. Hopefully something comes of this. I remember watching Hale-Bopp with my dad on a soccer field each night for weeks.
 
U

User 100115

Banned
ISON should make a U-turn around the sun on Thanksgiving Day, and if it survives that close solar encounter, it's believed that it could put on a light show visible with the naked eye. In the coolest-case scenario, it could be bright enough to rival the Great Comet of 1680, which reportedly could be seen in the daytime with a tail that stretched across the sky.
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That's pretty badass.

I doubt it will survive the journey though :( That's our luck.
 
S

smokeandmirrors

Banned
ISON should make a U-turn around the sun on Thanksgiving Day, and if it survives that close solar encounter, it's believed that it could put on a light show visible with the naked eye. In the coolest-case scenario, it could be bright enough to rival the Great Comet of 1680, which reportedly could be seen in the daytime with a tail that stretched across the sky.
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Red_Comet.jpg
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soon: dragons
 
Q

QualityPixel

Banned
So, if it survives the encounter with the sun, us plebs with out a telescope will be able to see it with ease? Or will it be at it's brightest before it gets close to the sun?
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
If this is better than Halle boppe that would be amazing. I was a young kid at the time but I believe it was visible during parts of the day at least, and it stuck around for weeks.
 
DiscoJer

DiscoJer

Member
This might be brighter than Hale-Bopp, but it won't be around for very long. That was really an amazing comet for how long it was visible. Months.

Sleeplessnights said:
OT but anyone went to look for the ISS? Been thinking of doing so myself, would make for some nice pictures.
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That just looks like a very tiny light moving quickly across the sky. You aren't going to get a picture out of it.
 
N

NotBacon

Member
Sleeplessnights said:
OT but anyone went to look for the ISS? Been thinking of doing so myself, would make for some nice pictures.
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Sign up for the NASA ISS alerts, they send you emails and exact times when it's in your hemisphere or whatever. Just looks like a really bright, slow, satellite.
 
Vlodril

Vlodril

Member
Whats that in europe time? also my brother who was like 10 at the time does not remember the hale comet at all. so weird it was one of the most spectacular things i have seen.
 
O

Orbis

Member
The last and only comet I've seen was Hale-Bopp in 1997; I remember seeing it every evening without fail, outside my bedroom window as a kid. I'm pretty sure I could see it for several months.

It was actually one of the things that made me so interested in astronomy. I purchased a new telescope a few days ago (my first proper one) and managed to catch a clear sky. Saw some fantastic views of Jupiter and its moons, and for the first time I could see the bands of colour on the planet itself. So hopefully I can get a good view of this even if it isn't spectacular to the naked eye.
 
E

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
I hope it will come close, I want to see that. Been so long since I last saw a comet, I barely remember.
 
B

BHK3

Banned
As always with comets or eclipses or whatever I don't live in a forest so I'm never able to see these things.
 
C

Cromat

Member
I heard about this ages ago and then I heard nothing more so I assumed it wasn't going to happen.

Do we have an estimate on when it will be brightest? Can it ever be seen in a city?
 
G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
I wouldnt even know where to look. Can I see this with the naked eye? The link a few posts up says with binoculars.
 
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