Comet Ison

NASA Spacecraft Snaps New Photo of Potential 'Comet of the Century'

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Space.com- 3/29/13, Tariq Malik

 

 

A NASA spacecraft scanning for the most powerful explosions in the universe has captured a photo of Comet ISON, an icy wanderer that could potentially dazzle stargazers when it swings close to the sun later this year.

 

NASA's Swift satellite, which is typically used to track intense gamma-ray bursts from distant stars, photographed Comet ISON on Jan. 30, with the space agency unveiling the photo today (March 29). By tracking the comet over the last two months, Swift has allowed astronomers to learn new details about how large the comet is and how fast it is spewing out gas and dust.

 

Link: Space.com

Newly-Discovered Comet Will Put on a Show Next Winter

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Astrobio.net- University of Maryland

 

 

 

The newly discovered comet ISON, which late this year could give sky watchers one of the brightest shows ever, shines in a new movie made by a University of Maryland-led team of scientists. The team recently began tracking and studying the comet with NASA’s historic Deep Impact spacecraft.

The “movie” -- a brief clip of comet ISON -- won’t win any Oscars, but it is an early look at a comet that promises to be a major light in the night sky during its close-up with the Sun beginning November 2013. This close encounter also holds the potential for exciting new scientific insights into the composition of comets, the most pristine remnants of the early days of our solar systems, says Maryland astronomer Tony Farnham and other members of the Deep Impact science team.

 

For more information on this story please see Astrobio.net.

 

 

 

 

 

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