Comet Ison

Close Encounters: Comet Ison

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Waking Times-10/20/13, Julie Umpleby

Flickr - Comet Ison - UCL Mathematical and Physical Sciences

The space-weather community is abuzz with Comet Ison, dubbed by many as ‘The Comet of the Century’.  As it travels deeper into our solar system en route to a close encounter with our sun later in November there are many watching with intense interest.

As some spectacular images of this significantly sized comet emerge (the comet nucleus is estimated to be anywhere between 0.5km – 4km in diameter), we would be wise to bear in mind the electrical nature of comets and the potential implications of its encounter with the sun. Far from being huge chunks of ice, comets are in fact more like asteroids and are highly electrically charged, with the nucleus acting as a charge capacitor. This often very high electric charge interferes with the plasma sheath of the sun, most often resulting in an outburst of plasma from the solar surface, a Coronal Mass Ejection.

Comet Ison Update (video)

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BPEarthwatch - 10/16/13

 

GFP Note: GFP doesn't endorse the personal opinions of the narrator of this video. But there is impressive video of Comet Ison included; which is worth watching.

Arcturus at evening. Comet ISON, Mars, Regulus before dawn

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Earthsky.org - 10/13/13

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The brightest object in the west after sunset is Venus, and the red star Antares is near Venus. They’ll be closest on October 16. But there’s another reddish star you might notice as well, and this one is likely to be flashing colors. Many people comment at this time of year on the star Arcturus, which you can read more about below. Plus here’s a cool configuration in the predawn sky now: Comet ISON is lining up with the planet Mars and star Regulus in the east. You’ll need a telescope to see the comet, but, even without one, it’s fun to imagine it up there with Mars and Regulus, getting brighter. Hopefully, it’ll become bright enough that we can see the comet after its closest approach to the sun on November 28, 2013.

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Get ready! Comet ISON to sweep closely past Mars on October 1 (video)

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Earthsky.org - 10/1/13, Bruce McClure

Artist's concept Comet ISON flies by Mars. Via NASA

On Tuesday (October 1, 2013), this year’s most anticipated comet – Comet ISON – will sweep closely past the Red Planet Mars. It’ll be on its way to a Thanksgiving Day (November 28) encounter with the sun, and hopefully to a good showing in Earth’s night sky. Right now, amateur astronomers with telescopes and photographic equipment are the main ones capturing images of Comet ISON. And they are sure to be trying already to captured Mars and the comet in the same photo in the predawn sky. But NASA and ESA are also readying a flotilla of spacecraft in Mars orbit or on Mars’ surface, which will attempt to record the comet’s passage near Earth’s neighboring planet.

And we do mean near. On October 1, Comet ISON will pass within 0.07 AU from Mars. That’s about six times closer than the comet will ever come to Earth.

Move over Comet ISON. A new Comet Lovejoy has arrived

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Earthsky.org - 9/11/13, Deborah Byrd

Comet Lovejoy's location on the sky's dome now. It is up in the morning sky, as seen from across the Earth. Image via realistnews.net

Comet Lovejoy’s location on the sky’s dome now. It is up in the morning sky, as seen from across the Earth. Image via Cumbrian Sky.

Many are anticipating the brightening of Comet ISON, which is now in Earth’s predawn sky, not far from the bright planets Jupiter and Mars, but too faint to see without telescopes and/or photographic equipment. Read more about Comet ISON here. In the meantime, on September 9, 2013, noted comet discoverer Terry Lovejoy of Australia announced another new comet, bringing his total number of comet discoveries to four. The newest Comet Lovejoy will be in the same part of the sky as Comet ISON beginning in November. What a cool photo opportunity!

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Comet ISON to sweep closely past Mars on October 1

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Earthsky.com - 8/24/13

 

When Comet ISON flies by Mars, it’ll have just crossed the “frost line,” a place outside Mars’ orbit where solar heating is enough to start vaporizing ices on ISON’s surface.

Around the world, astronomers are buzzing with anticipation over the approach of Comet ISON. On Thanksgiving Day 2013, the icy visitor from the outer solar system will skim the sun’s outer atmosphere. Word was that, if it survives its pass near the sun, Comet ISON might emerge as one of the brightest comets in years. Although the prospects for an extremely bright comet are not as good now as they appeared at ISON’s discovery in late 2012, still, astronomers and many others are anticipating this comet.

Magical Comet Ison: Coming Soon to a Sky Near You

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Universetoday.com - 6/5/13, Stuart Atkinson

 

GFP Note: The following is taken from a Sept 25, 2012 article. But it is still an incredibly interesting read. Comet Ison is due to make an appearance this fall in a sky near you.

 

An image generated from Starry Night software of how Comet ISON may look on November 22, 2013 from the UK.

 

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