Starship Asterisk*

Comet ISON Approaches

Explanation: How impressive will Comet ISON become? No one is sure, but unfortunately, as the comet approaches the inner Solar System, it is brightening more slowly than many early predictions. Pictured above, Comet ISON is seen about two weeks ago as it continued to develop a tail. Last week the comet passed relatively close to Mars, and was directly imaged by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. When Comet ISON dives to within a few solar radii of the Sun's surface in late November, it may become brighter than the Moon and sport a long and flowing tail -- or it may appear somewhat less spectacular. Either way, sky enthusiasts hope that whatever comet parts survive will put on quite an impressive show, as viewed from Earth, through at least the rest of the year.

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I arrive, Isun, I melt. _________

Sorry about any errors in displaying the correct APOD for the day. It's being worked on.

geckzilla wrote:Sorry about any errors in displaying the correct APOD for the day. It's being worked on.

I've bookmarked the UK mirror site, hosted by the University of London, which seems to keep up to date and has a link to Asterisk
http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/astropix.html

I've only just discovered that it also has its own archive, I presume, as the archive link works to bring up earlier Apods. This is a feature I've felt lost without, so am glad to find it there.

M

Is this the same as Comet 2013/A1 (Siding Spring) that was predicted to colide with Mars about now?

John

Beyond wrote:
I arrive, Isun, I melt. _________

• VENI, NOSI, LIQUEFECI.

JohnD wrote:
Is this the same as Comet 2013/A1 (Siding Spring) that was predicted to colide with Mars about now?

That's next year: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2013_A1

MargaritaMc wrote:
I've bookmarked the UK mirror site, hosted by the University of London, which seems to keep up to date and has a link to Asterisk
http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~apod/apod/astropix.html

I've only just discovered that it also has its own archive, I presume, as the archive link works to bring up earlier Apods. This is a feature I've felt lost without, so am glad to find it there.

The UK mirror site has the added value that you get to be prescient about answering the Tomorrow's APOD question.

I guess BING translator, like everyone else, doesn't know what to do with you, Art. It translated your Polish VENI, NOSI, LIQUEFECI to VENI, BEARS, LIQUEFECI.

Beyond wrote:
I guess BING translator, like everyone else, doesn't know what to do with you, Art.

It translated your Polish VENI, NOSI, LIQUEFECI to VENI, BEARS, LIQUEFECI.

• • Sonnet LXXXV
  I think good thoughts whilst other write good words,
  And like unletter'd clerk still cry 'Amen'
  To EVERy hymn that able spirit affords
  In Polish'd form of well-refined pen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Winter%27s_Tale#The_Bear wrote:
<<The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. The play contains one of the most famous Shakespearean stage directions: Exit, pursued by a bear, presaging the offstage death of Antigonus. It is not known whether Shakespeare used a real bear from the London bear-pits, or an actor in bear costume. One comic moment in the play deals with a servant not realising that poetry featuring references to dildos is vulgar.>>

This is a lovely picture that gives a good understanding of what a dim, distant comet looks like through a telescope. Its beauty is subtle, not overwhelming.

I think we focus too much on predicting the brightness of first-time comets. As David Levy said, "Comets are like cats: they have tails, and they do precisely what they want." Getting people excited about the possibility of a bright naked-eye comet is usually a set-up for disappointment. It would be better to emphasize what we know for certain: this ancient object has been orbiting the Sun far beyond the orbits of the planets since the birth of the solar system; somehow its orbit was perturbed and now it will pass very close to the Sun, releasing gas and dust that will tell scientists about the history of our solar system; it will be interesting to look at through a telescope; and if we're very lucky it might be bright enough to see with the naked eye.

Maybe, if we're really fortunate, Northern skygazers will be treated to something like McNaught

Really nice picture....well done...

:---[===] *

BMAONE23 wrote:Maybe, if we're really fortunate, Northern skygazers will be treated to something like McNaught

^^This is what I'm hoping.