Ccmet ISON - the Great Comet of 2013?

[DocM]

http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/25/14096323-super-comet-or-super-dud-well-see?lite

Super-comet or super-dud? We'll see

A new comet superstar named C/2012 S1 (ISON) is heading for the spotlight starting in November 2013 ? but will it perform as some hope it will, or will it be a dud of cosmic proportions?

"This is one to watch, definitely," said Karl Battams, a scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory who monitors comets for the NASA-supported Sungrazer Comet Project. "But the astronomy community in general tries not to overhype these things. Potentially it will be amazing. Potentially it will be a huge dud."

Comet ISON quickly rose to the top of the charts after its discovery, which was based on imagery collected on Friday by the International Scientific Optical Network's 16-inch (0.4-meter) Santel reflecting telescope in Russia. The comet, which was described in an IAU circular on Monday, takes its common name from the network's acronym. Since the discovery, astronomers have gone back through their files to find "pre-discovery" images and calculate the comet's orbit.

That orbit is due to bring Comet ISON incredibly close to the sun ? within just 1.1 million miles (1.8 million kilometers) in late November of next year. As a result, current projections suggest it could get very bright. How bright? Various estimates have set the brightest magnitude at -10 to -16. That suggests the comet could become brighter than the full moon ? which led Astronomy Magazine's Michael E. Bakich to say it "probably will become the brightest comet anyone alive has ever seen."

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[Dot Matrix]

Seems cool. Hopefully, we'll get something to look at. I haven't seen a comet since Hale-Bopp in '97.

[Growled Member]

We'll see. They don't have a very good prediction record on comets.

[DocM]

Hubble took a pic

[Growled Member]

Nice picture. I hope it looks like that from Earth in November.

[ShareShiz]

Hale-Bopp was ****en AWESOME. Can't wait for this.

Any info on long it will take to pass by Earth, like how long we will be able to see it ?

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Seems cool. Hopefully, we'll get something to look at. I haven't seen a comet since Hale-Bopp in '97.

Same here, Dot. I was disappointed because I missed this latest one...it was just too far on the horizon for me to see it from where I live. Too many houses/trees/buildings. I was disappointed. Hale-Bopp, though...I'll never forget that!! (Y)

[laserfloyd]

Hale-Bopp was a great one.

Hale-Bopp was ****en AWESOME. Can't wait for this.

Any info on long it will take to pass by Earth, like how long we will be able to see it ?

I think we'll get a solid couple of weeks in Nov?

Another awesome fact is that this thing will pass nearly a million miles from the Sun traveling at, wait for it, over 400,000mph. It's going to be hauling serious ass..teroid (ok bad joke I know!). It might even be going so fast that it's orbit will be hyperbolic, meaning it will make one appearance and then leave the solar system forever. Neat eh?

I'm really hoping this one comes to life as I'm hankerin' for a good comet. I saw a very very faint PANNSTARS a few weeks ago but it was meh. My kids were like "wow... so exciting *yawn* " lol.

I hope this one makes their jaws drop. :D