Comet ISON, November 2013
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- Dave Lillis
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Comet ISON, November 2013
Hi All,
As I'm sure most of you are aware at this stage, I'm abit conservative when it comes to comet predictions, but a comet has been discovered in the past few days that could literally be a jaw dropping event.
A new comet named ISON has been discovered beyond Jupiter and its on the way in!
A number of stats to consider,
1, This comet will come within 2 million miles of the suns surface, that is amazingly close!!
2, it comes within 40 million miles of Earth, that is a flyby in astronomical terms
3, its orbit has been approximately deduced, viewing it is going to be very favorable from the northern hemisphere, so we'll see it.
Some say that this is going to be the best comet in the last few hundred years, some say its going to be at mag -16, that's brighter then the full Moon, visible in daytime, cast a tail that fills the sky, a once in a civilization event and so on.....
To temper this, there are a number of factors to ponder, comets passing that close to the Sun experience furnace like temperatures, the comet could be disrupted/vaporized/destroyed by such a close encounter, the comet could break up as it nears the Sun and form a string of pearls which could be an unbelievable view!
OR this comet could be a damp squib and we not see as whole lot.
Some have made comparisons of this comets orbit to the great comet of 1680, the orbits of both are very similar and might indicate that the 2 comets came from the same object. If they're made of the same material, it would indicate that the comet could be bright.
Comets are fickle beasts, highly unpredictable, and predictions can be completely wrong and many comet predictions are just not believable. However this comets stats look real good and if the comet is only half as good as the predictions, then this comet could make other comets such as Hale-Bopp and McNaught look like firecrackers.
Lets hope so, time will tell.
As I'm sure most of you are aware at this stage, I'm abit conservative when it comes to comet predictions, but a comet has been discovered in the past few days that could literally be a jaw dropping event.
A new comet named ISON has been discovered beyond Jupiter and its on the way in!
A number of stats to consider,
1, This comet will come within 2 million miles of the suns surface, that is amazingly close!!
2, it comes within 40 million miles of Earth, that is a flyby in astronomical terms
3, its orbit has been approximately deduced, viewing it is going to be very favorable from the northern hemisphere, so we'll see it.
Some say that this is going to be the best comet in the last few hundred years, some say its going to be at mag -16, that's brighter then the full Moon, visible in daytime, cast a tail that fills the sky, a once in a civilization event and so on.....
To temper this, there are a number of factors to ponder, comets passing that close to the Sun experience furnace like temperatures, the comet could be disrupted/vaporized/destroyed by such a close encounter, the comet could break up as it nears the Sun and form a string of pearls which could be an unbelievable view!
OR this comet could be a damp squib and we not see as whole lot.
Some have made comparisons of this comets orbit to the great comet of 1680, the orbits of both are very similar and might indicate that the 2 comets came from the same object. If they're made of the same material, it would indicate that the comet could be bright.
Comets are fickle beasts, highly unpredictable, and predictions can be completely wrong and many comet predictions are just not believable. However this comets stats look real good and if the comet is only half as good as the predictions, then this comet could make other comets such as Hale-Bopp and McNaught look like firecrackers.
Lets hope so, time will tell.
Dave L. on facebook, See my images in flickr
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
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- Dave Lillis
- Posts: 2757
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 10:02 am
- Location: Limerick city
if it was a year earlier it would have coincided with the australia eclipse, what a view that would have been.
You remember comet holmes through the 20", I thought that would be hard to beat.
If this has a tail reaching half way across, it could have a nucleus over a degree across in the sky, no telescope would do it justice,
binos and naked eye only !
it would make you consider getting a new camera and going south to see it!
You remember comet holmes through the 20", I thought that would be hard to beat.
If this has a tail reaching half way across, it could have a nucleus over a degree across in the sky, no telescope would do it justice,
binos and naked eye only !
it would make you consider getting a new camera and going south to see it!
Dave L. on facebook, See my images in flickr
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
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- Posts: 2980
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:45 am
- Location: Ballycasey, Co. Clare
- Dave Lillis
- Posts: 2757
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 10:02 am
- Location: Limerick city
Thats supposed to be in the spring 2013 I think, I'm hoping to have them up on starrynight for the Thursday meeting
Dave L. on facebook, See my images in flickr
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
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- Posts: 2980
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:45 am
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- Dave Lillis
- Posts: 2757
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 10:02 am
- Location: Limerick city
ah ye, I was more on about showing the orbit and how close it gets to us
one thing I noted is that it passes north of us and will make a right angle with us and the sun, perpendicular to the ecliptic, I havent seen an orbit like this before tbh. it gets fairly close,..
and you should see what the comet does at perihelion, very cool !!
one thing I noted is that it passes north of us and will make a right angle with us and the sun, perpendicular to the ecliptic, I havent seen an orbit like this before tbh. it gets fairly close,..
and you should see what the comet does at perihelion, very cool !!
Dave L. on facebook, See my images in flickr
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
- Dave Lillis
- Posts: 2757
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 10:02 am
- Location: Limerick city
I dont see any reference to encke on the web for 2013 regarding showing a good display....
Dave L. on facebook, See my images in flickr
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me, but what a way to go.
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- Posts: 2980
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:45 am
- Location: Ballycasey, Co. Clare