Naked eye Comet ISON for Autumn 2013

[turbobloke]

Could be visible in daylight.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9767950/Com...

[turbobloke]

Eric Mc said:

Silver Smudger said:

MartG said:

turbobloke said:

Could be visible in daylight.

Somewhere there is probably an astronomer tearing his hair out after being misquoted by the press

Are you saying this is not possible for any comet, or do you have better info on this specific object?

It is notoriously difficult to predict how bright a comet will eventually become. There have been plenty of examples of "over egging" comet appearances in the past - most notoriously Comet Kahoutek in 1973. It was widly predicted that it was going to be the most spectaculatr comet of the 20th Century. It totally failed to live up to expectations.

On the other hand, we had two very spectauclar comets right at the end of the 20th Century, Comet Hyakutake in 1996 and Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Hale-Bopp was actually visible at dusk, shortly after the sun went down, when the sky was still quite bright.

We won't know how bright Ison is going to get until it actually starts to get a lot closer to the sun.

Quite so, Kohoutek sure was spectacular - a spectacular disappointment!

Comets are notoriously unpredicatble beasts. Even so, the potential of a nekkid eye comet even at dusk or at night is something to savour, we can then beech about it later when it fizzles to a fud.

[turbobloke]

Silver Smudger said:

OK thanks - We'll have to wait and see then!

But now we have a definite possibility. As opposed to an absent possibility.

That's soooooooooooo exciting! Put aside the economic woes and be of good cheer! Etc.

[turbobloke]

Recent commentary.

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Excitement is growing among astronomers that a comet predicted to graze the surface of the Sun later in 2013 could be the 'comet of the century'.

According to current predictions, Comet Ison should become visible by late November - and if conditions are right could even outshine the Moon.

The comet was discovered by two Russian astronomers in September last year. Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok used a 15.7 inch reflecting telescope at the International Scientific Optical Network to locate it, creating an almost immediate stir.

When they found Ison - aka C/2012 S1 - it was as far away as Jupiter, more than 625 million miles from Earth - but it is currently heading almost straight towards the Sun. According to some reports it is following a similar path to the great comet of 1680, viewed by Newton.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/09/comet-i...

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A sun grazer

Discovery pic from the same link:

[turbobloke]

Oh st there goes far too many hours....thanks, I think!

[turbobloke]

The Mayans had their chance...that said, comets are held to be portents, what will this one bring - EU exit referendum (carried) would do.