The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Alistair on November 20, 2013, 09:30:06 am

Title: Comet ison?
Post by: Alistair on November 20, 2013, 09:30:06 am

Keep reading about it, apparently you can see it with binoculars, struggling to know where or when to look, I've read in the east in the morning sky, is there anywhere more definitive, like about 6am or 3am and near a reference constellation?

I'm thinking about getting a second Hand telescope from the second Gand shop this afternoon

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: Mel on November 20, 2013, 04:10:09 pm

Does this help?

So far the comet has been disappointing, being just visible as a feeble smudge through 16 inch telescopes in early November but this will hopefully be the start of ISON’s glory days. At the beginning of November when the comet was between Virgo and Leo, it showed new activity, developing an ion tail and reaching Mag 8 (visible in the morning sky through larger binoculars) reaching Virgo by the middle of the month. On 11 November the comet crossed the orbit of Venus, and  suddenly increased in brightness! In just over a day the comet’s apparent magnitude improved by two magnitudes. By 16 November, it was a faint but visible object in the pre-dawn south-eastern sky to the unaided eye.  It was an even more fascinating sight for observers with telescopes. By the third week of November it may be easily seen in the eastern sky before dawn. We might just see the tail sticking up from beyond the horizon before the Sun comes up. Grab any chance you can to see it, as  by the fourth week of November the comet will be so close to the Sun that it will be almost sunrise before its head clears the horizon, so viewing it at all at this time might be challenging.

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: Alistair on November 20, 2013, 07:19:23 pm

I'll try before dawn tomorrow, I shall report back

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: jaykay on November 20, 2013, 07:36:50 pm

I suppose that's a flat horizon isn't it? Not much chance in the hills here then  :-\

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: Fleecewife on November 29, 2013, 12:12:17 am

Seems the comet disintegrated going close to the sun  :sunshine:

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: Backinwellies on November 29, 2013, 08:01:39 am

Quote from: Fleecewife on November 29, 2013, 12:12:17 am

Seems the comet disintegrated going close to the sun  :sunshine:

or has it?     

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: doganjo on November 29, 2013, 09:29:10 am

I just listened to the 9 am news and it's survived.

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: Fleecewife on November 29, 2013, 11:19:16 am

I heard this morning that they think there's still a bit there, but maybe the icy bit was melted?  Bit of an Icarus ?   I hope there's still something to see, if only the skies would clear.

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: tizaala on November 29, 2013, 12:34:22 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25143861 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25143861)

Title: Re: Comet ison?
Post by: Fleecewife on November 29, 2013, 01:01:04 pm

Oh no - that means we'll have to be PATIENT  :o :o :o