Hyperbolic Comet C-2012 S1 (ISON)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on Hyperbolic Comet C-2012 S1 (ISON), focusing on its visibility, behavior, and potential impact as it approaches perihelion. Participants explore various aspects of the comet's characteristics and predictions regarding its brightness and visibility in the night sky.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the current status of the comet, noting it is expected to crash into the Sun at the end of November and asks if it has been downgraded from a comet.
  • Another participant clarifies that the last observation of the comet was recent, stating its current magnitude of 13.5 makes it too dim for daylight visibility and requires a telescope for night viewing.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the comet's potential visibility, with opinions divided on whether it will become visible to the naked eye or achieve significant brightness.
  • One participant mentions that ISON is currently visible with binoculars but will soon be obscured by the Sun's glare as it approaches perihelion.
  • There is a discussion about the expected interaction between Earth and the comet's tail, with predictions about the distance and timing of this event, assuming the comet remains intact.
  • Participants describe different types of comet tails, including dust and ion tails, highlighting the complexity of comet behavior.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of views regarding the comet's visibility and behavior, with no consensus reached on its potential brightness or the implications of its approach.

Contextual Notes

There are uncertainties regarding the comet's future visibility and behavior, including assumptions about its structural integrity and the effects of orbital mechanics.

Philosophaie
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What is happening with Hyperbolic Comet C-2012 S1 (ISON)? It is going to crash into the Sun at the end of Nov. Was it downgraded from a Comet? Here is a site that used to track it:

http://www.heavens-above.com/Comets.aspx?lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=CET

I should be big in the night sky right now and soon it should be visible in the daylight.
 
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"used to track it"? The last observation is from today.
With a magnitude of 13.5, it is too dim to be visible in daylight, and even at night you need a telescope. It reaches its perihelion in about a month, then we'll see what happens.
 
The behavior of comets is about as predictable as a cat. At present, some doubt it will ever reach naked eye visibility, while others think it may become as bright as Venus. Those who think it will achieve 'comet of the century' status are rivaled in numbers by those who think it is the harbinger of doomsday.
 
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ISON is currently easily visible with binoculars, but will soon disappear in the sun's glare as it goes into perihelion.

Assuming the comet doesn't disintegrate and the orbital mechanics don't change, planet Earth will begin a quick pass through the tail of C/2012 S1 (ISON) on about January 1, 2014. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=c/2012 s1;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb

At this point, the nucleus will be about .449 AU (about 67 million kilometers, or 46 million miles) from Earth, and going away. The record length of a comet tail is 311 million kilometers.

There are several flavors of comet tails. First is the dust tail, which is a very fine soot. Then there are the ion tails, which can be several kinds of charged particles.
 
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