Pegasus Research Consortium

nice long explanatory article with charts and vids
.. I only picked out a few pieces of info


http://www.space.com/19973-comet-ison.html


Editor's Update (Sept. 24): Comet ISON is nearing its closest approach to Mars, with a fleet of NASA and European spacecraft poised to track the comet's Red Planet Flyby. Comet ISON will approach within 6.5 million miles (10.4 million kilometers) when it buzzes Mars on Oct. 1.




> Comet ISON will make an appearance in Earth's sky in 2013  While it's hard to predict just how bright the comet will be when it arrives, some astronomers are saying that it could be as bright as the full moon or perhaps, even visible in daylight.

> The comet is named after a telescope for the International Scientific Optical Network. Two Russians spotted ISON through a 15.7-inch (0.4-meter) reflecting telescope from that organization.

> ISON is considered a "sungrazer," meaning that it will pass very close to the sun when it gets into the inner solar system in November 2013.

some article highlights

>   ISON is expected to get as close as 800,000 miles (1.2 million km) from the sun's surface, providing it survives the gravitational forces or the sun's radiation. That closest approach will take place on Nov. 28, 2013.

>   Every comet also has a name assigned to it by the International Astronomical Union that includes features such as the year of discovery. ISON's official name is Comet C/2012 S1.

>  "The most exciting aspect of this new comet concerns its preliminary orbit, which bears a striking resemblance to that of the 'Great Comet of 1680,'" wrote SPACE.com skywatching columnist Joe Rao in a September 2012 article

>  What's known for sure, however, is ISON poses no threat to Earth. At its closest approach it will still be 40 million miles (64 million km) from Earth, just under half the distance between the planet and the sun.

Multiple comet discoverer David Levy, who was on the team to spot Shoemaker-Levy 9, offered up this bit of advice to SPACE.com concerning comets: "Comets are like cats; they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.".

......................................



also only parts of article here.. read entire article at the link



http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/unknowncountry-weekender-coming-comet-ison-astronomy-and-astrology


Unknowncountry Weekender: The Coming of Comet Ison in Astronomy and Astrology
Friday, September 27, 2013
We are getting a sense of astronomical déjà vu here at Unknown Country: Comet ISON is looming in our skies and already there are rumors of an accompanying spaceship, or even that the heavenly body itself is not a comet at all but a triangular-shaped UFO. Such stories are not presently supported by any published scientific findings.

.......Contrary to the internet rumors already starting about ISON, there is presently no convincing evidence that any sort of large object is accompanying it. Even if such an object is observed, it's likely to be the same as the others that are seen near comets--simply a natural phenomenon. However, if such things as starships exist, they would need water, and following an outgassing comet as it approaches a star would be one way to collect it.




....The 2nd of October is set to be the most significant astrological date as the comet will be in conjunction with Mars; this may then be a memorable day for Leos, with Sagittarians getting a blast from ISON on 2nd December as its retrograde cycle begins


Read the original source: http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/unknowncountry-weekender-coming-comet-ison-astronomy-and-astrology#ixzz2gKxAxtsR

First they say the comet poses no threat to Earth.  Then they say that comets are like cats.  They have tails and they do what they want.  Which is it?

Shasta

Is Comet ISON a spacecraft?


Well... is it?  Seems they claim this is a NASA photo but haven't had time to look it up. Odd no one picked this up here yet :D


(http://d38zt8ehae1tnt.cloudfront.net/Is_Comet_Ison_an_Alien_Spacecraft___HD__149561.jpg)

:o

ack-hum

see paragraph from post



.......Contrary to the internet rumors already starting about ISON, there is presently no convincing evidence that any sort of large object is accompanying it. Even if such an object is observed, it's likely to be the same as the others that are seen near comets--simply a natural phenomenon. However, if such things as starships exist, they would need water, and following an outgassing comet as it approaches a star would be one way to collect it.



yes i know no one reads links.. i've sadly been made aware of that..but i'm not posting the entire thing anymore either :(

as the story goes the last comet to be claimed as a starship had some folks getting rid of thier bodies so they could go with it as it passed...

i figured if anyone wanted to look it up (oh horror of horror..actual investigationg) then they would say something

sigh... i feel sooooo aloneeee.... ;)

Quote from: sky otter on October 01, 2013, 03:18:03 PM
i figured if anyone wanted to look it up (oh horror of horror..actual investigationg) then they would say something

sigh... i feel sooooo aloneeee.... ;)[/color]

Some of us (oh horror of horror) might be investigating something else and getting lonely there too.  Massive hug for the lonely Otter. :)

hahahahahaha..
yeah i hear ya

and thanks i'll take the hug and right back at ya ;D

I just want to know if it's non-threatening, or if it's going to act like a cat.  Those two conditions are mutually exclusive.

Furry hugs to the lonely.

Shasta

Quote from: Shasta56 on October 01, 2013, 08:47:18 PM
Furry hugs to the lonely.

I'm into group hugs..... but only with claws retracted.  ;)

Okay, the claws are retracted.  I promise.

Shasta

Latest viral photo of Comet ISON :P


(https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1150890_237939116357412_649027022_n.jpg)

It's interesting.

Shasta

I haven't looked at ISON yet.  I am intrigued by the pictures but without knowing what type of picture that last one is I'm not even sure what it is telling me.  If I get an hour free I'll try to find out what that shows. :)

Same here... just gathering what is out there.  I know others here will have time to dig :D

ok.. i wanna know what happens when it interacts with the sun..would there be any affect to earth?
hummmmmmm more searching, i guess


http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/Comet-ISON-to-Fly-By-Mars-225022822.html

By the Numbers

The Mars flyby is the first of several close encounters:



Oct. 1st: Comet ISON sails 10.8 million km from the Martian surface


Nov. 19th: ISON will pass closest to Mercury, with Messenger as its witness.


Nov. 28th: Comet ISON whips through the outer solar corona, passing within 1.2 million km of the Sun's visible surface.


Dec. 26th: Assuming the comet survives its graze past the Sun, it'll pass 64.2 million km from Earth (167 times farther than the Moon).


Watch this animation from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio to see two views of the comet's trajectory through the inner solar system:



......................................


http://www.space.com/22403-comet-ison-s-mars-buzz-orbiter-and-rovers-on-lookout-video.html

................................
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/mars-spacecraft-snaps-images-comet-ison-heading-toward-sun-8C11332738
Mars spacecraft snaps images of Comet ISON heading toward sun
Miriam Kramer Space.com
Oct. 3, 2013 at 5:40 PM ET


NASA / JPL / Univ. of Ariz.
On Sept. 29, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter pointed its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera at Comet ISON and produced these new images of the possible "comet of a century."
A probe in orbit around Mars spotted Comet ISON — a possible "comet of the century" — as it flew past the Red Planet on its way to give the sun a close shave come November.


On Sept. 29, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter pointed its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera at Comet ISON — a speeding ball of ice and dirt flying through the solar system — to make observations and measure its brightness.

Although the ISON may look like a fuzzy blob in the new photos produced by HiRISE, scientists can still glean important information from the images sent to Earth from Mars. [Photos of Comet ISON: A Potentially Great Comet]  http://www.space.com/19372-comet-ison-photos-2013-great-comet.html

"Based on preliminary analysis of the data, the comet appears to be at the low end of the range of brightness predictions for the observation," officials in charge of the HiRISE instrument wrote in a release. "As a result, the image isn't visually pleasing but low coma activity is best for constraining the size of the nucleus."

At the moment, ISON is making its closest approach to the Red Planet. The comet is now flying about 7 million miles (1.1 million kilometers) off the surface of Mars and HiRISE scientists are planning on observing ISON three more times as it makes its close pass.

Comet ISON is a bit dimmer than many observers hoped it would be at this point in its shot toward the sun, but hope is not lost for the promising comet. As ISON comes closer to the sun, more of its ice is expected to evaporate, making the comet even brighter.

The comet will make its closest approach of the sun on Nov. 28, flying just 730,000 miles (1.2 million km) off the star's surface.

Many skywatchers hope that Comet ISON will brighten significantly, giving observers on Earth a brilliant show. Skywatchers have mixed reviews of the comet's current activity, however. Some amateur astronomers think that Comet ISON will be absolutely stunning in December while others think it's fizzling out.

Comet ISON's future brightness   http://www.space.com/19796-comet-ison-explained-infographic.html

is particularly difficult to predict because of its origins. Scientists suspect that the comet comes from the Oort Cloud, a mass of icy bodies orbiting the sun trillions of miles from the inner solar system. Occasionally, like ISON, one of these comets is flung on a course toward the sun.

Because Comet ISON has never been this close to the sun before, it's hard to know whether it will brighten or fizzle under the relatively intense heat it is experiencing on its way toward the sun.

These HiRISE observations are part of an extended campaign keeping an eye on the comet. NASA, the European Space Agency, amateur astronomers and other space agencies around the world are pitching in to observe the potentially dazzling comet as it flies though the solar system. ESA's Mars Express spacecraft began its observation campaign on Sept. 21 and was expected to be in a good position to see the comet's close flyby of the Red Planet.

When ISON makes its way around the sun, solar-observing telescopes such as the NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory will keep an eye out for the comet. The Venus Express spacecraft and Proba-2 in Earth's orbit will also try to catch sight of Comet ISON in November and December.

Follow Miriam Kramer @mirikramer and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

Potentially Dazzling Comet ISON: 8 Essential Facts
Comet ISON's Mars 'Buzz' - Orbiter and Rovers on Lookout | Video
Amazing Comet Photos of 2013 by Stargazers

found this  while look for ison stuff.. holy sky show.. this ought to get the end-of-times-folk going for sure


the potential to see more than 1,000 meteors per hour under ideal conditions



http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/173316061.html

HOMEPAGE OBSERVING by Kelly Beatty

Meteor Storm Brewing for 2014?On May 24, 2014, Earth will plow through a dense stream of dust particles shed by Comet 209P/LINEAR. Dynamicists think the crossing could result in an intense meteor shower — maybe even a "storm" — and North Americans will have front-row seats.

Over the past two decades, celestial dynamicists have gotten very good at divining when meteoric activity will spike. Their computer models can track how dust ejected by a comet near each perihelion pass gets distributed into strands of particles over time. Their calculations show that dust tends to stay concentrated close to the nucleus, and that the strands themselves often converge in space close to the orbit's perihelion.

Now these number-crunchers are telling us make sure May 24, 2014, is circled on our skywatching calendars. On that date, we might experience the most dramatic display of "shooting stars" in more than a decade.


According to predictions, a little-known comet will pass perihelion in early May of 2014 and, two weeks later, sandblast Earth with dust particles spread along its orbit.

NASA / JPL / HorizonsThe source of all this buzz is a little-known periodic comet called 209P/LINEAR. Discovered by an automated sky survey in 2004, it follows a looping but relatively tight path that carries it just inside Earth's orbit every 5.04 years. According to dynamicist Syuichi Nakano, Comet 209P/LINEAR's next perihelion occurs on May 6, 2014, at a point 0.969 astronomical unit from the Sun and with Earth not far away.

Just 18 days later, we should cross through dozens of particle streams shed during past orbits. The predictions are still rough, but three different models suggest the sky show could be spectacular. "All the trails ejected between 1803 and 1924 cross Earth's path in May 2014," notes Jérémie Vaubaillon (IMCEE, France). "As a consequence, this shower might as well be a storm," with the potential to see more than 1,000 meteors per hour under ideal conditions.

That's the same conclusion reached by Russian meteor sleuth Mikhail Maslov, who thinks at least 100 to 400 meteors — and quite possibly many more — should rain down per hour. But he cautions that Comet 209P/LINEAR is small and hasn't been observed much. Moreover, outbursts of meteors linked to this comet haven't been noted in the past.

The potential for a strong showing in 2014 was first pointed out by meteor specialists Esko Lyytinen and Peter Jenniskens, but detailed calculations by Vaubaillon and Maslov have heightened the anticipation.


This perspective shows the hemisphere of Earth that will be facing the incoming dust particles from Comet 209P/LINEAR when the activity peaks on May 24, 2014. Skywatchers in southern Canada and the continental U.S. will be especially well positioned to watch the sky show.
Mikhail MaslovThe best part of all this prognostication, at least from a U.S. perspective, is that the meteor display should peak between 7:00 and 8:00 Universal Time on May 24th — it'll be dark across virtually all of North America. The meteors' apparent point of origin (radiant) will be quite far north in declination (in Camelopardalis, says Vaubaillon), again favoring the U.S. and Canada. And the Moon will be a narrow waning sliver just a few days from new. Everything is "go" for the best meteor display since the dramatic Leonid showers of the late 1990s.

So what will it take to refine estimates of how many "209P-id" meteors we might see? More observations of the comet's nucleus will certainly help. Unfortunately, right now it's well beyond the orbit of Mars and a dauntingly faint 22nd magnitude. But with such a dramatic performance predicted for 2014, don't be surprised if professional astronomers start slewing their best weapons its way in the coming months.


Posted by Kelly Beatty, October 9, 2012
related content: Celestial events
Share this story: 
Other links: + digg | + reddit | + del.icio.us | + rss  

Re: Effect on Earth...

We may see an increase in large meteorites as it gets closer, dragging other debris along with it

(https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q71/1375253_736624816352757_1737621895_n.jpg)
Békásmegyer, Budapest, Hungary

WOW here is a goodie :D  has everything...

Remote Viewing experiment saves the day!!!

2013 Global Coastal Event Called Off?
Remote Viewing Experiment A Success

QuoteAccording to this video report from the remote viewing body 'The Farsight Institute', the Earth may have dodged a bullet with the passing of Asteroid 2012DA14 and the Russian meteorite several days ago. According to Dr. Courtney Brown, any further chance of a 'global coastal event' occurring before June 1st, 2013 are now quite small.

(http://beforeitsnews.com/contributor/upload/5385/images/21203652_BG2.jpg)

QuoteA 1971 U.S. Department of Defense DARPA chronovisor time travel probe to the year 2013 found the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC under 100 feet of brackish water.

In this important February 16, 2013 update, Dr. Courtney Brown, director of the Farsight Institute discusses his interim findings on the June 1, 2008- June 1, 2013 Global Climate Change Remote-Viewing Study Multiple Realities, Timelines, and Events.

In this video update, Dr. Brown concludes that 15 February 2013 meteor event over Russia, the largest since the Tunguska event, coupled with the close approach of the roughly 50 metre asteroid 2012 DA14 that occurred about 15 hours later may constitute the meteor or asteroid event referenced in the Farsight Institute study, which predicted a global coastal event destroying most coastal cities on the planet in June 2013. Dr. Brown states he does no expect any other meteor or coastal event between February 16, 2013 and June 1, 2013 based on the Farsight study. Dr. Brown refers to the holographic nature of reality and to the his remote viewers having possibly viewed a global coastal event happening in June 2013 on Earth in some other timeline or holographic version of Earth or parallel universe. Read much more @ Exopolitics

http://beforeitsnews.com/paranormal/2013/02/2013-global-coast-event-called-off-remote-viewing-experiment-a-success-2447994.html


LOL just HAD to post that... seems all these guys have lost the plot :P

OMG :o

that should go into the humor section..
or maybe you need to start a horror section

Quote from: zorgon on October 01, 2013, 05:22:14 AM
Is Comet ISON a spacecraft?


Well... is it?  Seems they claim this is a NASA photo but haven't had time to look it up. Odd no one picked this up here yet :D


(http://d38zt8ehae1tnt.cloudfront.net/Is_Comet_Ison_an_Alien_Spacecraft___HD__149561.jpg)

Ah, Streetcap, an old internet friend from the past/ Shout out to him,  Deuem

good job deuem.

Very nice indeed!  Lots of intensity.

Fascinating.

Gold for you Deuem
Thor too.

I find that larger green area, with some darkish/black
lines very very curious.

And best of all we did it on Skype working together. That was fun. I did a few instant requests. I also like the green halo. Anf the dead air space right behing the comet. The workup gives you a different view of the heavens and how they interact. Each color is a different light intensity and the comet paints its own picture. They look a lot like candels. The bow wake like a boat is seen even clearer with the process. And I guess you can tel which direction it is going. That trail effect is the same thing I look for in UFO photos to see if it matches decriptions from people.

Having fun yet Thor? We worked files back and forth with the PRC group until 3am. Deuem is tired..

Deuem

This is just another ISON video of similar content. It is very specific relative to frontal gassing, and not-tumbling, as comets normally do.

                                                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1q-5ti94rw

Satellite monitoring Chinese Tian Lian 1 ISON Comet C/2012 S1 September 3, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI7h5qKJxOI


Ummm...   :o

::)

:(

i really think when this passed the sun there will be a problem

i hope i am wrong 

nov 28 is thanksgiving day and it's my year to cook...sigh

Sky, When it passes the sun and is on its way back out we will be 3 months ahead of it on our orbit. Well more than 100 million miles.
So unlees the laws of nature stop, we hav nothing to worry about on this one. Sleep tight.....Count some sheep and grab one for me, I like how they taste if cooked right........

Deuem

You can view it's axact orbit here:

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=C%2F2012%20S1;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb

Zoom in a little and you can pivot your view, as well as advance the time to see where it'll be in relation to earth.  At no point will we be remotely at risk.

thanks guys...
maybe it is just a feeling of something going to be pulled at that time..
or try to be pulled..? ?
it's much calmer today
you two are much appreciated

thanks again ;D

Latest "news" about ISON :P

Comet Ison Confirmed As Being A Spaceship By Channeled Message

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/10/comet-ison-confirmed-as-being-a-spaceship-by-channeled-message-2789876.html

::)

well i think i will stick to this source for now..i'm not feeling scary stuff.. just that something isn't quite right  




http://www.space.com/23124-comet-ison-sun-encounter-survival.html

Potentially Dazzling Comet ISON Should Survive Sun Encounter, Study Suggests
By Mike Wall, Senior Writer   |   October 09, 2013 02:01pm ET



(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/comet-10.jpg)




The odds are pretty good that Comet ISON will survive its much-anticipated close solar approach next month, a new study suggests.

As long as ISON is a fairly typical comet — one with "normal" size, density and rotational characteristics — it probably won't disintegrate during its upcoming flyby, which will bring the icy wanderer within just 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) of the sun's surface on Nov. 28, researchers report.

That's good news for skywatchers, for Comet ISON could potentially put on a dazzling show if it manages to weather its solar encounter. And it's also good news for scientists, who have been planning their most intense observations of the comet for after the flyby (since ISON will be easier to see from Earth after the approach than before). [Comet ISON: 8 Things to Know]


(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/comet-11.jpg)


In the new study, Matthew Knight of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz., and Kevin Walsh of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio conducted simulations of Comet ISON's upcoming solar approach, then put the results in context by looking at how other "sungrazing" comets have performed during their encounters with our star.

The possible outcomes for Comet ISON are total disintegration; initial survival with a breakup coming later, perhaps days or weeks after the Nov. 28 flyby; and full survival for another orbit around the sun. Which one of these will actually occur depends on ISON's size and density, as well as the nature of its rotation (how fast it's spinning, and in which direction), researchers said.

Comets less than about 0.12 miles wide (0.2 kilometers) face destruction by the sun's heat, which can evaporate off all of their ices. But scientists think ISON is big enough to deal with this issue; most estimates place the comet's core between 0.12 miles and 1.2 miles across (0.2 to 2 km).



video at link



Another threat comes from the immense gravitational pull of the sun, which can tear apart comets that are unusually light and fluffy. But as long as ISON is of roughly average density, it should be able to hold together, researchers said.

None of this is set in stone, of course, since most of the key characteristics — including Comet ISON's exact size, density and spin — remain unknown. And it's notoriously difficult to predict the behavior of comets, especially "dynamically new" ones like ISON making their first trip to the inner solar system from the distant, frigid Oort Cloud.

"Whether or not disruption occurs, the largest remnant must be big enough to survive subsequent mass loss due to evaporation for Comet ISON to remain a viable comet well after perihelion," Knight said in a statement.

Meanwhile, another new study suggests that Comet ISON might exhibit a burst of activity a week before its close solar encounter.

Researchers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to measure the rotational pole of ISON's core and determined that only one side of the comet is being heated thus far as it streaks toward the sun.

But that should change on or around Nov. 21, when Comet ISON ducks inside the orbit of Mercury, the solar system's innermost planet, team members said.

"Since the surface on the dark side of the comet should still retain a large fraction of very volatile materials, the sudden exposure to the strong sunlight when it gets closer to the sun than Mercury could trigger huge outbursts of material," study leader Jian-Yang Li, of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Ariz., said in a statement.

Both studies were presented today (Oct. 9) at the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences 45th annual meeting in Denver.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com.

Here is another ISON informational video that I don't think has been posted here yet. There are 1 or 2 videos by this same fellow posted in this thread. Here he is taking a detailed look at Hubble pics of ISON taken a few months ago. Details of ISON still seem to be a LITTLE strange!!


                                                       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mruDiR9_7g

And another video that is somewhat different. ?? ISON + +

No way to know if this is factual?

               
                                                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvXt0kv86s

(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/ison_110.jpg)


As we reported yesterday,http://www.universetoday.com/105380/new-data-will-comet-ison-survive-its-close-perihelion-passage/

the latest data on Comet ISON indicates there is some encouraging news as far as the Comet surviving perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun. While some are all doom and gloom about the potential for Comet ISON putting on a good show, these latest images indicate that as of now, this comet is alive and doing well!

"We really do not know what comet ISON is going to do when it gets near the Sun," wrote astronomer Karl Battams of the Comet ISON Observing Campaign website. http://www.isoncampaign.org/karl/ison-is-just-fine

"But what we can say for certain, right now, is that comet ISON is doing just fine! It continues to behave like a fairly typical, if somewhat smaller-than-average, Oort Cloud comet. It has given no indication that it has fragmented and while such an event can never be ruled out, we see no evidence or hint that the comet is in any imminent danger of doing so. Any reports to the contrary are just speculation."

You can read more from Battams   http://www.isoncampaign.org/karl/ison-is-just-fine

about the current status of ISON, but just take a look at some of these gorgeous latest images from a variety of astrophotographers:



Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/105440/latest-images-of-comet-ison-show-it-is-doing-just-fine/#ixzz2hZRaqzHY


.............................................................................


lots of stuff at this link



http://www.isoncampaign.org/



Comet ISON is doing just fine!
Submitted by Karl on Wed, 10/09/2013 - 08:23
There has been a lot of speculation brewing over the past few days that C/2012 S1 aka comet ISON may either have already fragmented and fizzled, or is about to do so at any moment. I'm not going to point directly to any sources that are making these claims as I don't think those articles deserve the web traffic. Instead, I'll let you judge for yourselves: does this look like a fizzled out comet?

................



Who are the CIOC Team?
  The CIOC Team comprises the following scientists:

Carey (Casey) Lisse (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD)
has been active in the fields of astronomy and physics since 1985, where he began as an instrument scientist at NASA/Goddard on the Nobel prize winning COBE project. He later moved over to planetary studies, writing his dissertation on comets detected in the COBE all sky survey. Since then he has focused primarily on comets, making important discoveries in X-ray emission from comets, and working on the NASA Deep Impact mission from start to finish including using the Spitzer Space Telescope to observe dust excavated from Comet 9P/Tempel 1 by the DI Impactor. He also studies asteroids and x-ray emission from planets and comets, and searches for the presence of asteroids and comets around other starts. Casey is the Chair of the CIOC Team, overseeing the activities of the CIOC.


Karl Battams (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC) is an astrophysicist and computational scientist based in the solar physics group at NRL.
He has been in charge of the Sungrazer Project since 2003, overseeing most of the project's 2500+ sungrazing comet discoveries. In addition to his work with sungrazing comets, he performs software development, data processing and visualization for the NRL Solar Branch. He has a passion for astronomy outreach through presentations and video projects, including having filmed with National Geographic and the BBC, the latter for the acclaimed "Wonders of the Solar System" series. Karl's primary role on the CIOC is to interface with the solar observatory operations teams (SOHO, STEREO, etc) that will provide critical observations of Comet ISON in the days immediately surrounding perihelion. He tweets as @SungrazerComets.


Michael DiSanti(NASA Goddard) has more than 20 years experience in the study of native ices in comets through ground-based high resolution spectroscopy of volatiles in the 1 - 5 micron spectral region. This has led to abundance measurements of up to 10 parent molecules, and reveals compositional diversity among more than two dozen comets observed to date.


Yan Fernandez (University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL) is an astronomer who has been studying comets and asteroids since the mid-1990s.
He has studied comets, asteroids, Trojans, Centaurs, and small moons at IR, visible, and radio wavelengths for over ten years with the goal of determining their physical and compositional properties. He is the PI of the Spitzer SEPPCoN program to characterize the size, albedo, and color of 100 JFC comets. A member of the NASA CIOC team, he will lead the IRAC photometry data reduction efforts, and will help interpret Comet ISON in the context of other comets.


Michael Kelley (University of Maryland, College Park, MD) is an astronomer who observes and models comet dust to find out what it is made of, and where it comes from.
He is also similarly interested in asteroid surfaces, and their thermal properties. His first research paper on comets was about Comet Halley in 1985, when he was at the young age of 7 years, although it's distribution was limited to his father's notebook. Mike's role on the CIOC is primarily based on his expertise with comet dust and mid-infrared spectroscopy, and his association with the Deep Impact science team.


Matthew Knight (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ) is an astronomer specializing in comet nucleus and coma studies.
He studied sungrazing comets for his Ph.D. thesis and has spent 150+ nights observing comets in optical and near-IR wavelengths. Matthew's primary role on the CIOC is to monitor ISON and help predict its behavior near perihelion and beyond in order to help ground- and space-based observers optimize their observations.


Ron Vervack (JHU Applied Physics Laboratory) is a planetary scientist who has been involved in NASA projects since 1985 when he started working on Voyager.
Nowadays, he splits his time between spacecraft observations of planetary atmospheres and ground-based infrared observations of comets and asteroids. Ron's role on the CIOC reflects his diverse interests, providing connections to both the ground- and space-based scientific communities. He is the lead on a moderate-resolution infrared observational campaign at NASA's IRTF to study the gas and dust comas of comet ISON and a member of two teams that will use both the IRTF and Keck Observatory to study the gas coma of ISON using high-resolution spectroscopy. As a member of the MESSENGER Science Team, he will lead the MESSENGER observations of ISON during its closest approach to the planet Mercury.



Elizabeth Warner (University of Maryland, College Park, MD) is an amateur astronomer who also does informal astronomy education and public outreach.
During the Deep Impact Mission, she served as the "Liaison to Amateur Astronomers," she was/continues as the webmaster for the EPOXI (and DI3) mission, and coordinates the Amateur Observers' Program started during Deep Impact and continued for other NASA Small Body Missions. She also coordinates programs at the UMD Observatory.



Padma Yanamandra-Fisher (Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO), physicist and astronomer, seeks to study light scattering in various astrophysical environments (planetary atmospheres and ring systems, comets, etc.) using polarimetry and thermal spectrophotometry.
Her research on atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn collided with cometary dust modeling via participation in the D/Shoemaker-Levy 9-Jupiter campaign of 1994, and other celestial impacts on Jupiter in 2009-2011. She loves to share her passion via outreach and social media. Her role in CIOC is a confluence of science through telescopic observations and outreach via Facebook collaboration with a global network of amateur astronomers/comet imagers.


   

Comet ISON: New NASA Trajectory - JPL Orbital Diagram, Published Oct. 15, 2103

                                        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjNvv4de9x8

Does a "new trajectory" mean the comet made course corrections and now has a new path?

Supposition of course ~~~~ either ISON changed course or, "SOMEONE" made some sort of mis-calculation in the projection of its course through the solar system.

With what little I have seen in some of the video presentations on ISON, it appears that even at the highest technical levels, we really are pretty ignorant when it comes to actually "knowing" what any heavenly body can or will do, as it transverses the heavens. The word "prediction" seems to be a better word to use in this regard. Astronomers "predicting" what ISON can or will do is not that different in possibilities from, the weather men trying to predict what "mother nature" is going to do, at any given time in the future.  :))

some good info here with lots of graphs and vids
way to much to copy





http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/comet_ison

What's Going On With This Comet ISON Image?
October 14, 2013
ISON Q&A: October 14, 2013
by Tracy Vogel

Quote from: zorgon on October 12, 2013, 03:38:15 AM
Latest "news" about ISON :P

Comet Ison Confirmed As Being A Spaceship By Channeled Message

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/10/comet-ison-confirmed-as-being-a-spaceship-by-channeled-message-2789876.html

::)

Bashar's mate says it is Jesus disguised as a space ship, disguised as a comet.   :o

ok P
calling you on this one

where does it say anywhere anything about bashar's mate at that link?
cause i couldn't find it
maybe you forgot to add a different link with that specific piece of info

and really..you're now going with before it's news as a reliable source ?   ???


if you go to the link that i put in the last post
here's i'll give it to you again

http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/comet_ison

and you page down a bit you will see how some folk have come up with this space ship idea
it is in the unretouched photos where they are get the image as it looks to be in three pieces

that's why i posted that link..even knowing so very few would ever look..
many photos so that you could make a judgement for yourself and not
fall for any of the sillyness

but hey.. i ask myself - why bother anymore

Quote from: sky otter on October 18, 2013, 04:29:31 AM
that's why i posted that link..even knowing so very few would ever look..
many photos so that you could make a judgement for yourself and not
fall for any of the sillyness

That was a joke Sky. It was about conspiracy theories generally not you.  I was laughing to myself the other day waiting for someone to say that ISON was going to be involved in a Doomsday scenario and when nobody did I did it instead for comic effect.

Bad joke obviously.  :-[

Quote
but hey.. i ask myself - why bother anymore

We all ask ourselves that.  I bother because I enjoy it but I don't know how constructive it all is.  Enjoying something is good enough reason.  There are some good people here too.  I'm not exactly Doctor Evil myself to be fair.

Much love x

(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa458/deuem/SnapShot101019.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/deuem/media/SnapShot101019.jpg.html)

welllll i knew Z was teasing cause he made faces
but  when you copied it and said that but didn't add any new faces i took you seriously....sigh
and i wanted to know where you had found that info
cause you know me.. gotta have answers...
so if you are poking fun just add that little tongue guy and i won't bug you...k?  ;D


andddddddddddddddddd
guess what
in the very first post i posted this.. so i was waiting for more of it and thought you had something

Quotehttp://www.unknowncountry.com/news/unknowncountry-weekender-coming-comet-ison-astronomy-and-astrology


Unknowncountry Weekender: The Coming of Comet Ison in Astronomy and Astrology
Friday, September 27, 2013
We are getting a sense of astronomical déjà vu here at Unknown Country: Comet ISON is looming in our skies and already there are rumors of an accompanying spaceship, or even that the heavenly body itself is not a comet at all but a triangular-shaped UFO. Such stories are not presently supported by any published scientific findings.

.......Contrary to the internet rumors already starting about ISON, there is presently no convincing evidence that any sort of large object is accompanying it. Even if such an object is observed, it's likely to be the same as the others that are seen near comets--simply a natural phenomenon. However, if such things as starships exist, they would need water, and following an outgassing comet as it approaches a star would be one way to collect it.

i think you just have a case of the new dad jitters...have a few large cups of coffee and  as yoiu really bounce off the walls you'll see the difference  ;)

hugs ;D




Deuem.. really cool... as ususal....thanks

Quote from: sky otter on October 18, 2013, 02:19:27 PM
so if you are poking fun just add that little tongue guy and i won't bug you...k?  ;D

OK mate, I'll try to make sure it's obvious when I'm fooling around. :)

Quotei think you just have a case of the new dad jitters...have a few large cups of coffee and  as yoiu really bounce off the walls you'll see the difference  ;)

Jitters?  That's an understatement. :P

Actually, you're right, I NEED COFFEE.  Just the thought of the smell of some livened me up then.

More hugs  ;D

Quote from: Pimander on October 18, 2013, 02:33:01 AM
Bashar's mate says it is Jesus disguised as a space ship, disguised as a comet.   :o

Isn't that what Heaven's Gate dude said too?

That didn't go so well for them ;)

heavens gate ..was what the first reference was too...without giving the name

nobody looked to read it..


yeahh .. i know you said  nobody reads links and i didn't believe you

i do now

ok.. i found your gloom and doom for this comet...if i wasn't laughing so dang hard i'ld be tossing things at the screen
unreal...this person was really busy to make this one




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlIgQE1RH00
Published on Oct 14, 2013

Tell me this. They say comets are made of ice and dust right? RIGHT!!! If that's the case,then how did comet ison just turn mars into a comet with a coma???
Coma's are made when comets get near the "SUN". So how did mars turn into a comet with a coma around it?? THERE"S YOUR PROOF, THAT COMET ISON MUST BE NIBIRU!!!

Quote
Published on Oct 14, 2013

Tell me this. They say comets are made of ice and dust right? RIGHT!!! If that's the case,then how did comet ison just turn mars into a comet with a coma???

  ???  ...what?

Quote
Coma's are made when comets get near the "SUN". So how did mars turn into a comet with a coma around it?? THERE"S YOUR PROOF, THAT COMET ISON MUST BE NIBIRU!!!

??? I read that 3 times.  Slow.  I'm still missing the logic steps.

Over ONE HOUR? Wow  I could only get as far as the first red over print :P

Kekekeke  Just the quote from SO.  All the YouTube and videos you guys post I can't watch, they're a no-show on my work computer.

sorry.. i was trying to make a point that all the gllom and doom vids are trash..guess i wasn't clear enough when i posted it by saying

Quoteok.. i found your gloom and doom for this comet...if i wasn't laughing so dang hard i'ld be tossing things at the screen
unreal...this person was really busy to make this one

i'll spell it out completely if i try prving a point again
...sorry about wasting space
:(

Quote from: sky otter on October 22, 2013, 05:49:56 PM

sorry.. i was trying to make a point that all the gloom and doom vids are trash..guess i wasn't clear enough when i posted it by saying

Yeah you were... and yeah I agree... but some of em are funny :D  But not hour long rants :P


Just seems that they draw in certain members :P

Comet ISON continues on its way in toward the sun and will cross the Earth's orbit on
Wednesday (Nov. 6) at 6 p.m. EDT (22:00 GMT).  


http://www.space.com/23417-comet-ison-performance-approaching-sun.html



(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/true-c10.jpg)
Bruce Gary of Hereford, Arizona obtained this a true color image of Comet ISON on Oct. 22, 2013, showing a greenish coma and reddish tail. The coma is now greener than the tail, which is also a result of the recent emission of gas to the coma. The coma is growing in size, as well as brightness. The tail will be slower to undergo change because it takes time for gas and dust in the coma to be swept into the tail.
Credit: Bruce Gary



Promising Comet ISON Gives Perplexing Performance En Route to Sun
by Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist   |   October 31, 2013 04:33pm ET

With just one month to go before its dramatic solar rendezvous, skirting to within a hairbreadth of the surface of the sun, Comet ISON continues to befuddle observers with its performance en route to the sun.

Based on a compilation of Comet ISON observations from observers worldwide as of Oct. 24, the comet, once proclaimed as possibly the "Comet of the Century" was running approximately 1.3 magnitudes, or 3.3 times fainter, than the "official" brightness forecast issued by the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass. As the comet comes down the home stretch of its long journey before finally grazing to within 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) of the sun, great uncertainty continues regarding whether or not it will remain disappointingly dim or whether it will end up evolving into a spectacularly bright object.       

Carl Hergenrother of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Ariz., noted that part of the uncertainty is due to what wavelengths the comet is observed in: "Visual and CCD-V observations do show a comet that is brightening at a normal rate (perhaps even faster than normal for a dynamically new comet) while CCD-R observations show a comet that is barely brightening at all. CCD-R sees predominately dust in contrast with visual and CCD-V, which have large gas components. It seems that over the past month or so ISON's gas production rate has increased as expected while its dust production rate has not," Hergenrother said. "I don't really know what this means but something has to give, either the dust production picks up or the gas production slows down." [Photos of Comet ISON: A Potentially Great Comet]

Looking weird

The highly regarded comet observer John Bortle is just as perplexed by the comet's recent appearance, commenting that the recent images along with his own visual impression, is "downright weird." He adds that, "There is a bright, miniature, long-tailed comet situated within a much larger, but very much fainter and diffuse halo of a coma."

"Those visual people using larger telescope also often remark about the odd way the comet looks, while those using relatively small scopes and big binoculars report seeing a larger, more-or-less faint but uniform cometary mass," he added. "This comet is currently at a distance from the sun where it should no longer exhibit such a dichotomy of appearance."

Bortle has observed several hundred comets and yet, he writes, "At this stage of the game, with the comet about to cross the orbit of Earth, I cannot recall any previous comet in my 50-plus years of comet observing looking quite like this. So, what does ISON's current look foretell, or mean? I honestly don't know. All I can say is I don't like the odd look of it at this time."

One step forward, one step back

Around Oct. 19, ISON seemed to suddenly brighten at a more rapid pace. On Oct. 21, Arizona observer Bruce Gary (who was the first to image the comet after it emerged from out of the glare of the sun on Aug. 12) wrote, "The comet (coma plus tail) continues a dramatic brightening trend that started Oct 19. The inner coma has brightened (due perhaps to an outburst of gases). This next week could be busy - and exciting!" [Potentially Dazzling Comet ISON: 8 Essential Facts]

But just four days later, with the comet showing signs of fading a bit rather than brightening, Gary, sounding almost a bit exasperated commented, "I don't know what's going on with this comet!"

Analyzing all the observations made since Sept. 4 shows that ISON is responding to the sun more like a solid body would respond, rather than as a typical "fluffy" comet.

Time Running Out

Whatever is happening, Comet ISON continues on its way in toward the sun and will cross the Earth's orbit on Wednesday (Nov. 6) at 6 p.m. EDT (22:00 GMT).

For the last couple of months, observers watching the comet brighten at what has seemed to be a frustratingly slow pace are still waiting for a more rapid brightening trend. That may still happen, but time is now running out; four weeks from Thursday will be the comet's moment of truth as it whips around the sun.

Will it remain disappointingly dim? Will it finally brighten up? Will it still be completely intact when it sweeps back out into space or will the sun's extreme heat and tremendous tidal forces cause it to fracture into several pieces? At SPACE.com we will continue to monitor the comet's future behavior and provide any new updates in the days to come, so stay tuned!

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.

sky, that is very interesting!!! It seems that to this day, at least some of the more knowledgeable people on comets still do not know what ISON is all about, or what it might do.

Just for emphasis, I am going to re-share just a piece of what is said in your comments, to further make this point.

Bortle has observed several hundred comets and yet, he writes, "At this stage of the game, with the comet about to cross the orbit of Earth, I cannot recall any previous comet in my 50-plus years of comet observing looking quite like this. So, what does ISON's current look foretell, or mean? I honestly don't know. All I can say is I don't like the odd look of it at this time."

One step forward, one step back

Around Oct. 19, ISON seemed to suddenly brighten at a more rapid pace. On Oct. 21, Arizona observer Bruce Gary (who was the first to image the comet after it emerged from out of the glare of the sun on Aug. 12) wrote, "The comet (coma plus tail) continues a dramatic brightening trend that started Oct 19. The inner coma has brightened (due perhaps to an outburst of gases). This next week could be busy - and exciting!" [Potentially Dazzling Comet ISON: 8 Essential Facts]

But just four days later, with the comet showing signs of fading a bit rather than brightening, Gary, sounding almost a bit exasperated commented, "I don't know what's going on with this comet!"

Analyzing all the observations made since Sept. 4 shows that ISON is responding to the sun more like a solid body would respond, rather than as a typical "fluffy" comet.

Time Running Out

Whatever is happening, Comet ISON continues on its way in toward the sun and will cross the Earth's orbit on Wednesday (Nov. 6) at 6 p.m. EDT (22:00 GMT).

rdunk
yeah.. there is something about this comet that has my attention..more than just ordinary
attention for something to watch in the sky..
that's all i have.. just that it draws my attention

and i find this verry interesting..but i don't know what it means


comet observer John Bortle
There is a bright, miniature, long-tailed comet situated within a much larger, but very much fainter and diffuse halo of a coma."

Time running out for who ?  The comet?

Earth is 3 months ahead of it in out orbit. It is a Earth Orbit crossing comet, So is every other one as long as they start out past Earth and go to the sun they have to pass us. Since we are now almost 90 degrees to it, I see no problems for us unless it is going to blow the sun up or change it when they hit each other. If it is a real comet the sun should have it for breakfast. That close it has a god chance of being eaten by the sun. If it is an old stars core that went cold and drifted into the suns gravity, that might cause some excitement. That material should be very heavy and dense. No breakfast here just fall to the core and fight it out. [maybe]
Deuem

Once Upon a Time....  In a Solar System not so far away...

well ours :P

NASA "scientists" thought it would be fun to drop a projectile onto a comet...

What happened was an unexpected EXPLOSION....

Yet there was no explosive on the impacter... just a big chunk of metal... and the comet was supposed to be a big ball of water ice and dust...

Then a few minutes later a second HUGE EXPLOSION....

This one to this day is a mystery and was seen from Earth. The flare lasted for several days seen and recorded by Hubble

(http://www.astrobio.net/images/galleryimages_images/Gallery_Image_5159.jpg)

Here is the time sequence 

(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/04images/Spaceships/tempel1_hst_big.jpg)

All the info is here... 

http://www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/02files/NASA_Crashing_Satellites_01.html


So WHAT exactly did they HIT?

Well it gets weirder...

NASA's probe continued on it's way ( and a second mission to the comet was planned to see what happened)  But here is the story...

Last Friday, NASA announced the end of attempts to contact the Deep Impact mission. Deep Impact got its name from its activity back in 2005: dropping a refrigerator-sized object into a comet at 37,000 kph and observing the debris that spewed out. This gave us an unprecedented view of the composition of comets. But the mission didn't end there; free to wander the Solar System, the probe turned its instruments on other comets, performed a close flyby of a second, and imaged a third.

Okay so NASA loves exploring space by bombing things :P and then jumping around like monkeys when they hit something...

(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/04images/Spaceships/Deep_impact_cheer_nasa.jpg)

But here is the FREAKY part

This year, Deep Impact had turned its instruments on comet ISON and was observing from a distance when it suddenly went silent. After a month of attempting to reestablish contact, NASA officially gave up trying.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/09/deep-impact-probe-down-and-out-ice-back-for-maybe-more/

Rest of article...

QuoteDeep Impact is not the only comet mission that's on people's minds, though. An even older bit of hardware started life as the International Sun-Earth Explorer back in 1978. But with that mission done, the spacecraft was maneuvered to where it could use the Moon's gravity to fling it on an orbit where it led Earth around the Sun. Renamed the International Cometary Explorer (ICE), it went on to observe comet Giacobini-Zinner in 1985.

Now, Emily Lakdawalla of the Planetary Society writes that ICE's speed and 30 years have combined to ensure that ICE is on the verge of catching Earth from behind. NASA has been out of touch with ICE since 1998, but the probe still responded when contacted back then. According to her story, some scientists are thinking it might be possible to maneuver ICE so it goes back into an orbit at the Earth's L1 Lagrange point, where its instruments will let it return to scientific duty. But as Lakdawalla notes, money is a scarce commodity for NASA, so it's not clear whether any attempt to reestablish contact will be made.

Z, that is very interesting. Even when NASA does stuff, it seems that sometimes they don't have a clue as to what they actually did!

If NASA don't have the money to contact the probe, I'm sure the Navy has the odd billion spare to find a use for it.  If it is passing a L point then it has to be worth trying to stabilise and then using....

there is something just plain-ass wierd about this one..and i can't figure out why

but if it blows some communication satilites..maybe we can start a telepathic forum.. ;)

Did you mean telepathic..................................................or did you mean tele-pathetic?  :))

 ;D

i guess it would depend on who/m you are communicating with...

Quote from: sky otter on November 02, 2013, 02:12:06 AM
there is something just plain-ass wierd about this one..and i can't figure out why

You want WEIRD?  This is the latest from Hubble (artists impression though) Comet now has SIX TAILS

(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/bcL09PoQvd3VvIWdAXIW5g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQ2MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz01NzU-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/Bizarre_Asteroid_with_Six_Tails-ff3608a8b733a46d29d9667c600a3ecc)

So okay... the real Hubble image is not as dramatic, but still ODD

(http://astrobob.areavoices.com/files/2013/11/P_2013-P5-comet-Hubble1.jpg)

This is really strange! They call P/2013 P5 an "asteroid" but it looks like a comet with tail(tails) and all.  Does anyone know if there has been another "asteroid"  with a similar signature?   :o

I found this:


Summary Table
Asteroid    A relatively small, inactive, rocky body orbiting the Sun.
Comet    A relatively small, at times active, object whose ices can vaporize in sunlight forming an atmosphere (coma) of dust and gas and, sometimes, a tail of dust and/or gas.
Meteoroid    A small particle from a comet or asteroid orbiting the Sun.
Meteor    The light phenomena which results when a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere and vaporizes; a shooting star.
Meteorite    A meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands upon the Earth's surface.

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/faq/

It gets confusing to me, but then it is way past my bed-time.  ;)

Quote from: zorgon on November 08, 2013, 03:35:11 AM
So okay... the real Hubble image is not as dramatic, but still ODD

(http://astrobob.areavoices.com/files/2013/11/P_2013-P5-comet-Hubble1.jpg)

Funny, when I run it it looks like it is turning to the photo right.


(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa458/deuem/SnapShot114415.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/deuem/media/SnapShot114415.jpg.html)

Observe Comet ISON at its best


Find out how to view what promises to be the brightest comet of 2013 and likely one of the two or three brightest comets of the 21st century — so far.

Dates and viewing times for best view... I think this is northern hemisphere...

Comet ISON should be a spectacle when it passes near Mercury and Saturn in morning twilight November 24.
Astronomy: Jay Smith

(http://astronomy.com/-/media/Images/News%20and%20Observing/Sky%20this%20Month/2013/11/ISONNovember.jpg?mw=1000&mh=800)

December's first morning showcases a grand conjunction among four bright solar system objects.
Astronomy: Jay Smith

(http://astronomy.com/-/media/Images/News%20and%20Observing/Sky%20this%20Month/2013/12/CometISONfinderchart.jpg?mw=1000&mh=800)

http://astronomy.com/observing/sky-events/2013/10/observe-comet-ison-at-its-best

According to Spaceweather.com this morning there are 4 comets showing at one time, then we have P/2013 P5, what ever it is?  Sorry for a sloppy post,my old computer and old me are limited.

http://www.spaceweather.com/


Pictured from left to right are exploding Comet LINEAR X1, sungrazing Comet ISON, short-period Comet Encke, and the brightest of them all, Comet Lovejoy. All four are visible in binoculars or backyard telescopes, and Comet Lovejoy (mag. +6.0) is visible to the naked eye from dark-sky sites. Comet ISON is actually one of the faintest of the group; only expanding Comet LINEAR X1 (mag. +8) is more difficult to see.

An apparition of so many comets at once is a rare thing, and amateur astronomers are encouraged to wake up early for a tour of the pre-dawn sky. Dates of special interest include Nov. 15-18 when Comet LINEAR X1 passes by the bright star Arcturus, Nov 17-18 when Comet ISON has a close encounter with Spica, and Nov. 18-20 when Comet Encke buzzes Mercury. These stars and planets make excellent naked-eye guideposts for finding the comets. Meanwhile, bright Comet Lovejoy is approaching the Big Dipper; if you can't see it with your unaided eye, a quick scan with binoculars will reveal it. Sky maps: Nov. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.

Comet ephemerides: Comet ISON, Comet Lovejoy, Comet Encke, Comet LINEAR X1

(https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q91/s720x720/1467282_10202588786065864_812729117_n.jpg)

(http://www.trunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/1_photo.jpg)

View from Mars :D

(http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2013/01/ison-mars-nov-27-sunset.jpg)

(http://www.honolulumagazine.com/images/2013/Nov13/Print/Streakin.jpg)

Hey Wartoad, way back on reply 29 you posted this link

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=C%2F2012%20S1;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=C%2F2012%20S1;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb)


It is now blocked for me. Is it blocked for you also?

I never had that site blocked before.

Deuem

Quote from: deuem on November 12, 2013, 12:51:54 PM
Hey Wartoad, way back on reply 29 you posted this link

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=C%2F2012%20S1;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=C%2F2012%20S1;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb)


It is now blocked for me. Is it blocked for you also?

I never had that site blocked before.

Deuem

Not blocked, but there's an imbedded Java applet that is VERY slow to load.

So the comet will swing around the sun (from Nov 28 to Dec 1) in three days?  Wow.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/comet-ison-view-reveal-deep-secrets-article-1.1514621#ixzz2kUmyB21r



Solar intensity has not yet tarnished the comet that came into being during the early days of the solar system's formation. NASA scientists, as well as amateur astronomers, are excited to see what secrets the icy space rock might hold.

By Michael Walsh / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, November 12, 2013, 5:38 PM

The comet of the century" is blazing a trail so bright that it is visible with binoculars now and possibly with the naked eye later this week.

NASA scientists are excited to see how Comet ISON reacts to intense ultraviolet light and solar wind as the virgin space rock passes the sun for the first time.

"We are seeing the first heating of the body and the first releasing of the volatile ices and dust grains in the sunlight," Diane Wooden, an astrophysicist at NASA, told the Daily News. "The last comet that did this in a predictable way was Comet Ikeya-Seki in 1965."

ISON was formed in the outer-reaches of the solar system and solar heat has not yet scorched off its top layers. So it still has primeval, untarnished matter from the early days of the solar system's history.


"When it goes too close to the sun it's like the entire surface is released," Wooden said.

Scientists are exploring how the comet reacts to this intensity and what this might tell us about the solar system's earliest days.

It should come within just 730,000 miles of the sun on the day before Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27.

"It will come very, very close to the sun's surface," Denton Ebel, a meteorite specialist at the American Museum of Natural History, told The News. "We don't know what's going to happen, that's what's exciting. It could break into pieces."



Two amateur Russian astronomers discovered ISON 585 million miles away in September 2012. Astronomers had slightly more than a year to get ready for the comet's close pass by monitoring it with instruments on the ground and up in the sky, according to Space.com.

NASA has described the much-anticipated space rock's journey through the solar system as "perilous and violent."

Amateur star-gazers from across the globe have already reported seeing the comet with binoculars and telescopes.

"I have made my first confirmed binocular sighting of C/2012 S1 ISON as well," Englishman Pete Lawrence told Spaceweather.com. "ISON's head appears small and stellar through a pair of 15x70s optics."

The astronomy site said that the comet is streaking through the Virgo constellation low in the eastern sky. The comet's current total magnitude, or brightness, is around 7-8, which means it's about as bright as Venus.

Though scientists value ISON tremendously, amateur astronomers might be more interested in looking out for Comet Lovejoy, also in the early morning sky, which will be more visually spectacular.

mwalsh@nydailynews.com





Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/comet-ison-view-reveal-deep-secrets-article-1.1514621#ixzz2kUmyB21r

...............................................................................

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/got-good-pair-binoculars-incoming-comet-isons-visible-now-2D11577710


Got a good pair of binoculars? Incoming Comet ISON's visible now


Mike Wall Space.com
Nov. 11, 2013 at 5:14 PM ET

The potentially dazzling Comet ISON has brightened enough on its highly anticipated approach toward the sun that it's now visible through a decent pair of binoculars.


Skywatchers around the world have recently used binoculars to spot Comet ISON, which is streaking toward a close encounter with the sun on Nov. 28 that will bring the icy wanderer within just 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) of the solar surface.

"I have made my first confirmed binocular sighting of C/2012 S1 ISON as well," Pete Lawrence, of the town of Selsey in the United Kingdown, told the website Spaceweather.com on Saturday (Nov. 9). "ISON's head appears small and stellar through a pair of 15x70s optics." [See amazing photos of Comet ISON by stargazers]

Comet ISON is cruising through the constellation Virgo at the moment and is visible in binoculars low in the predawn eastern sky, Spaceweather.com reports. The comet is currently as bright as an 8th magnitude star — too dim to be seen with the naked eye but easy to spot with binoculars or a small telescope.

ISON was discovered by two Russian amateur astronomers in September 2012, giving scientists more than a year to prepare for its close solar flyby. Researchers have been tracking the comet with a variety of instruments on the ground and in space, hoping to learn about ISON's composition by watching which gases boil off its surface at various distances from the sun.

Skywatchers have had a keen interest in ISON as well, for the comet could put on a great show in December if it survives its close pass by the sun later this month.

While some researchers have voiced optimism that ISON will hold together, there are certainly no guarantees; it's tough to predict the behavior of any comet, particular a "dynamically new" one such as ISON that's making its first trip to the inner solar system from the distant and frigid Oort Cloud.

Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of Comet ISON or any other celestial sight that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact Managing Editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us@Spacedotcom,Facebook orGoogle+. Originally published on Space.com.

i really hope i get a chance to see this one



http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/
Comet ISON

Update: This morning, November 13th, I looked at Comet ISON and Lovejoy in moderate light pollution. I could not see either one with the naked-eye. Comet Lovejoy could be seen with binoculars since it was over-head; however, Comet ISON was a wash-out. You definitely need to be out in the country away from the street lights! I still haven't looked for Comet Encke yet.

Update: I saw Comet ISON on the morning of the 11th. It is faint folks. I used a 10 inch reflector to see it, and it was just barely visible in the finderscope. Comet Lovejoy, however, was easy to see in binoculars and telescope and twice the size of ISON this morning. You could just make out a tail on Lovejoy in the telescope. Neither comet is naked-eye right now, and Comet ISON needs to turn up the "gas" if it is going to make naked-eye visibility later this month (but I doubt it). Comet Lovejoy is predicted to be naked-eye, and I felt I almost saw it this morning with just my eye. There is no way Comet ISON will be naked-eye this week.

I finally looked at Comet ISON and Lovejoy on the morning of November 10th with a 10 inch Celestron reflecting telescope with Comet Lovejoy at 6th magnitude and Comet ISON at 8th magnitude. Lovejoy easily beats ISON in appearance. Lovejoy showed a stellar core within the coma. Lovejoy's coma appeared twice as large as ISON's coma (and no stellar core was apparent in ISON). My finderscope showed Comet Lovejoy easily, but Comet ISON required a stretch of the imagination when viewed through the small scope. So in essence, Lovejoy was bigger and brighter than ISON, and Lovejoy was showing a bit of a tail, but neither were naked-eye this morning!


November 14th - 90 minutes before sunrise
All comets shown below require binoculars or a telescope!

(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/pic210.png)(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/lovejo10.jpg)

November 24 is best time to start looking  Find a high hilltop away from lights but it is only visible just before sunrise...

We have Halloran Summit here about 1 hour drive away  4500 feet no lights save a small gas station on the far side of the freeway

Going to try to look from there

Quote from: Amaterasu on November 12, 2013, 11:56:45 PM
So the comet will swing around the sun (from Nov 28 to Dec 1) in three days?  Wow.

Yup Slingshot effect... Star trek used that to go fast enough to go back in time :D

But four comets at the same time...

That is freaking out the conspiracy nuts :P

yeah.. plain-ass freakin wierd.... 8)


we have dark but also trees on the horizon.. gotta go up the hill..and will   ;D
hope they can see us wavin from there

forgot to post this on the six tailed one

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/wires?id=191947967&c=y

Hubble spots strange asteroid with 6 tails of dust
November 7, 2013Associated Press

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida -- The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a six-tailed asteroid in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Scientists say they've never seen anything like it. Incredibly, the comet-like tails change shape as the asteroid sheds dust. The streams have occurred over several months.
A research team led by the University of California, Los Angeles, believes the asteroid, designated P/2013 P5, is rotating so much that its surface is flying apart. It's believed to be a fragment of a larger asteroid damaged in a collision 200 million years ago.

Scientists using the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii spotted the asteroid in August. Hubble picked out all the tails in September.

The discovery is described in this week's issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.



and this



http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/Tails-of-a-Very-Unusual-Asteroid-231624201.html

"Tails" of a Very Unusual AsteroidAt first, observers thought the object designated P/2013 P5 was a comet lurking among the asteroids. But two sets of Hubble images show instead that's a bizarre asteroid that's shedding tails of dust into space.

David Jewitt is a veteran solar-system observer with a special interest in "main-belt comets," coma-shrouded objects that orbit among the asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. In fact, the UCLA astronomer has tracked down all 10 of the known ones.

So, in mid-August, when a team of observers led by Marco Micheli (University of Hawaii) discovered an 11th candidate, which was given the periodic-comet designation P/2013 P5 (PanSTARRS), Jewitt jumped into action. He quickly got approval to image the new object with the Hubble Space Telescope on September 10th and 23rd — and the resulting images were incredible.


Two false-color views of P/2013 P5, as recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope 13 days apart. The projected appearance of the object's six tails changed dramatically in that time. Each tail is identified with a letter; N is for the main object.
NASA / ESA / D. JewittInstead of a simple object with a single tail streaming behind it, P/2013 P5 turned out to have six tails radiating away from the central body. Moreover, the tails' appearance changed dramatically in the two weeks between Hubble's photo sessions. "We were literally dumbfounded when we saw it," Jewitt notes in a press release.

The tails weren't created all at once. Instead, based on modeling by team member Jessica Agarwal (Max Planck Institute for Solar
System Research), they appear to have been shed by the central body on six specific dates: April 15th, July 18th, July 24th, August 8th, August 26th, and September 4th. The tails then stretched out in a way that suggests their tiny particles range from 10 to 100 microns in size.

But P/2013 P5 probably isn't a comet. For one thing, it's in an orbit shared by the Flora family of asteroids, which formed roughly 200 million years ago, so it's likely just a chip off this grouping's parent body. Nor is it plausible that a rogue comet somehow became captured into asteroid-belt residency. A collision could certainly raise a cloud of dust — but not six times over the past half year.

Instead, Jewitt and his collaborators conjecture (in November 20th's Astrophysical Journal Letters) that the central mass is simply shedding dust every now and them. Using the Hubble images and knowing that Flora-family asteroids have fairly reflective surfaces, they estimate that the "nucleus" is no bigger than 1,600 feet (0.5 km) across — and probably somewhat smaller. So there's barely enough gravity to hold itself together.

If P/2013 P5 spins rapidly, which is likely a common trait within the Flora family, then dust on its surface must be sliding toward its equator, where it piles up and sloughs off into space. Sounds a little far-fetched, but the team finds this the most plausible explanation. And since the tails together represent no more than about 0.1% of the body's mass, they'll likely keep appearing until the near-surface dust runs out.


Posted by Kelly Beatty, November 12, 2013
related content: Solar system

The Universe is no longer unfolding as it should

BTW we are kinda entering a new region of space... perhaps it is the arm of Sagitarius where we originated after all :D

ah yes the arm of sag.. or is it the 13th sign ...bwhahahahahahahah


The Carina–Sagittarius Arm (also known as Sagittarius Arm or Sagittarius–Carina Arm, labeled -I) is generally thought to be a minor spiral arm of our home galaxy, the Milky Way.[1] Each spiral arm is a long, diffuse curving streamer of stars that radiates out from the galactic center. These gigantic structures are often composed of billions of stars and thousands of gas clouds. The Carina–Sagittarius Arm is one of the most pronounced arms in our galaxy as a large number of HII regions, young stars and giant molecular clouds are concentrated in it.[2]

The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy, consisting of a central crossbar from which two major and several minor spiral arms radiate outwards. The Carina–Sagittarius Arm lies between two major spiral arms—Scutum–Centaurus Arm inside and the Perseus Arm outside.[1] It is named for its proximity to the Sagittarius and Carina constellations as seen in the night sky from Earth, in the direction of the galactic center.

The Sagittarius Arm is divided into two parts. Curving outward from the galaxy's central bar is the Sagittarius Arm (Sagittarius bar), which further outward becomes the Carina Arm.[1]




Ophiuchus (astrology)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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18th century star map illustrating how the feet of Ophiuchus cross the ecliptic
Ophiuchus /?fi?ju?k?s/ has sometimes been used in sidereal astrology as a thirteenth sign in addition to the twelve signs of the tropical Zodiac, because the eponymous constellation Ophiuchus (Greek ???????? "Serpent-bearer") as defined by the 1930 IAU constellation boundaries is situated behind the sun between November 29 and December 17.[1]

The idea appears to have originated in 1970 with Stephen Schmidt's suggestion of a 14-sign zodiac (also including Cetus as a sign). A 13-sign zodiac has been suggested by Walter Berg and by Mark Yazaki in 1995, a suggestion that achieved some popularity in Japan, where Ophiuchus is known as Hebitsukai-Za (???????, "The Serpent Bearer").

Mainstream sidereal astrology, notably Hindu astrology, and tropical astrology (including the popular sun sign astrology), use the traditional 12-sign zodiac based on dividing the ecliptic into 12 equal parts rather than the IAU constellation boundaries, and do not regard Ophiuchus as a sign.

There is considerable confusion between the notion of a sign, which is an equal division of the sky into 12 in both the Vedic and the Western systems of astrology, and a constellation, which is a grouping of stars that touches the ecliptic. While Vedic uses a sidereal system based on the stars, that sidereal horoscope is divided evenly into 12 signs which are symbolic of the varying-size constellations they make contact with.

In this regard it is significant to note that the intermittent astrological use of Ophiuchus is particular to the American civilization that was cosmologically contiguous with Egypt's 18th dynasty. Astronomical scholars in Africa and America conferred to produce a new grouping of thirteen ecliptical constellations to rectify the discrepancies between extant American and Ethiopian astrological forecasts of the worldwide effects of the Venus transit. The use of the thirteenth constellation predicted the precession of the equinox into the Age of Aquarius (February 19 -March 20) on July 13, 2013 and the reoccurrence of a ten planet alignment in Ophiuchus on June 13, 2014 that marks the culmination of the effect of the end of B'ak Tun thirteen on December 21, 2012.

History
Ophiuchus and some of the fixed stars in it were sometimes used by some astrologers in antiquity as extra-zodiacal indicators (i.e. astrologically significant celestial phenomena lying outside of the 12-sign zodiac proper). The constellation is described in the astrological poem of Manilius: the Astronomica, which is dated to around 10 AD. The poem describes how:

Ophiuchus holds apart the serpent which with its mighty spirals and twisted body encircles his own, so that he may untie its knots and back that winds in loops. But, bending its supple neck, the serpent looks back and returns: and the other's hands slide over the loosened coils. The struggle will last forever, since they wage it on level terms with equal powers".[2]

Later in his poem, Manilius describes the astrological influence of Ophiuchus, when the constellation is in its rising phase, as one which offers affinity with snakes and protection from poisons, saying "he renders the forms of snakes innocuous to those born under him. They will receive snakes into the folds of their flowing robes, and will exchange kisses with these poisonous monsters and suffer no harm".[3] A later 4th century astrologer, known as Anonymous of 379, associated "the bright star of Ophiuchus", Ras Alhague (? Ophiuchi), with doctors, healers or physicians (??????), which may have been because of the association between poisons and medicines.[4]

Based on the 1930 IAU constellation boundaries, suggestions that "there are really 13 astrological signs" because "the Sun is in the sign of Ophiuchus" between November 29 and December 17 have been published since at least the 1970s.[5]

In 1970, Stephen Schmidt in his Astrology 14 advocated a 14-sign zodiac, introducing Ophiuchus (December 6 to December 31) and Cetus (May 12 to June 6) as new signs.[6] Within 20th-century sidereal astrology, the idea was taken up by Walter Berg in his The 13 Signs of the Zodiac (1995). Berg's The 13 Signs of the Zodiac was published in Japan in 1996 and became a bestseller, and Berg's system has since been comparatively widespread in Japanese pop culture, appearing for example in the Final Fantasy video game series and the manga and anime series Fairy Tail.

In January 2011, a statement by Parke Kunkle of the Minnesota Planetarium Society repeating the idea of "the 13th zodiac sign Ophiuchus" made some headlines in the popular press.[7]

Symbol
Schmidt introduced his own symbol for his Ophiuchus sign in 1974. It was a stylized representation of a man carrying a snake.[8]

In 1995 Berg also proposed a symbol for Ophiuchus, and it has come into comparatively widespread use in Japan. In 2009, it was suggested for inclusion in the Unicode standard as part of an emoji extension.[9] The symbol looks like a letter U with a superimposed tilde (U?). It has been added to the Unicode Miscellaneous Symbols codepage (U+26CE ?) as of version 6.0 (October 2010).

In his 2011 book, Kanatas Vasilis suggested the Greek letter phi (?) as the symbol for the sign of Ophiuchus, from the Greek word for Ophiuchus, "????????".[10]






http://www.philipsedgwick.com/

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Pick a Planet and Propitiate ~ 13 November 2013

Based upon observations of telescopes orbiting far above the Earth's atmosphere and out of the range of the set design debris for the movie, Gravity, astronomers have recently concluded that out of the tens of billions of planets, the universe likely contains 8.8 billion planets that can support life similar to what occupies Earth. These planets are in the "Goldilocks Zone," meaning they are not too hot; not too cold.



Of course, that could mean that grumpy bears are about ready to return home and take on domestic intruders. In honor of grump, many have unwittingly joined a campaign about this sidereal revelation that sounds as if they have just awakened from an extended hibernation and need to eat some blueberries and absorb their healing antioxidant properties while resetting their blood sugar. These folks say things like: "No big deal. Sooner or later the aliens on those planets will show up and we'll find out all those science fiction movies were made by psychics," or "We'll just end up ruining those planets, too," and "It's amazing. Those planets must all be 6,000 years old, too."



Of course, the capitalists, no doubt charter members in the Optimist's Club, are drooling. Realtors are thinking of the virtually unlimited number of homes that can be sold. Construction companies are plotting with visions of strip malls, office buildings and homes to build. Mining companies are thinking about resources to extract - not realizing that planets in those solar systems likely have the equivalent of an underworld lord like Pluto, too. And utility companies cannot wait to get their fracking hands on those planets.



And here I am wondering why people on Earth cannot even comprehend all their own planets in their own damn solar system.



Really, now! The former asteroids Ceres and Vesta have been classified as planets. Haumea, Makemake, and Eris are planets. Yes, they have that pesky dwarf prefix that serves as a diminishing asterisk to those who have not yet applied their merits, but they are planets. And Sedna, well, no one has successfully defined her yet.



It's the approach of the holiday season where, no matter what religious or spiritual lens one uses, it's time to go reflective, become more generous than usual and react through the peace on Earth filtering system. Add to that, the end of the Gregorian Calendar year on an immediate horizon. The typical contemplation of how the year has gone and what can be done to make the next one better slowly creeps into our consciousness.



So why not pick a planet, any planet, and propitiate to that planet? That's right. Pick any planet in the solar system, focus on its greatest aspiration agenda and use the principles suggested by that agenda to guide your life for the next while. There's a kluge for personal use following, but first some background on this line of thinking.



All came to me as I was contemplating the recent spying scandal surrounding the covert intelligence agencies of the United States... that is, the agencies we know about. It's a Saturn in Scorpio thing. Limits on the agendas of secrecy and clandestine activity, amplified by the fact that these revelations really starting hitting the Scorpionic fan as Saturn crossed the perihelion of Pluto - Pluto's closest position to the Sun and the point where the greatest urgency of matters ruled by Pluto appear. Back in the early 1980s during the Reagan administration, NASA flew a bunch of Department of Defense top secret space shuttle missions, focused near the time that Pluto crossed its own perihelion! Reagan had a thing for Star Wars and there's no telling what junk was launched during that time. Only Sandra Bullock, the star of Gravity, knows for sure. But Reagan was the dude, who in a true Aquarian moment, commented that if aliens attacked, the countries of the world would finally unite.



In other recent news, the United Nations, launched an exploratory committee to figure out what to do if Earth were threatened by the approach of large, wayward meteors, comets and asteroids.



And back to the point of this topic: Jupiter recently aligned with his own heliocentric north node. Recently Uranus squared the nodes of Jupiter. Between Christmas and New Year, Jupiter will square his own perihelion... his orbital point of urgency. Seems that with the stimulation to the orbital elements of Jupiter, by his own grandness and the unpredictable "be ready, anything can happen" Uranus, it's time to reset bearings to the optimism settings. Create hope, aspiration and be zany enough to believe it can happen... and it can happen to you. This way, you'll get off the duff and doing the deeds that it takes to put dharma in play.



So pick a planet. Any planet. Follow the prescriptions/suggestions of the planet's north node and like a moth to a flame, follow the beacon emanating from that planet's lodestone generator.



Mercury / Taurus

Think in practical terms. Plan. Detail and work out a structure for monetizing idea.

Assess the merit of your ideas, inspirations.

Value your brain.

Honor your smarts.



Venus / Gemini

Realize others want what they want. Failure to include you, in part or in whole, is not rejection.

Coins have two sides, right? Honor the good and evil of money.

Want what you want free of justification.

Argue the distinctions between need and want, and the ethics of each, until your brain is tired. Then, follow your instincts.



Mars / Taurus

Remember, after sowing and before reaping, comes cultivation. No slacking on fostering things.

Honor the axiom "perseverance furthers."

Value action - an intangible force - as the most tangible part of manifestation.

Honor all senses fully. Become a five-sentient being.



Ceres / Gemini

Distinguish between ideas and cause in matters in which you feel the need to advocate.

In all situations, think in terms of benefit to all parties involved.

Take time to honor accomplishment, cultivation and completion.

Cultivate an attitude that a win for one is a win for all.



Vesta / Cancer

Your domestic space is the best sanctuary for retreat and refreshing your spark. Use it well.

Commitment, when declared, must be upheld.

Rules to which you agree to conform are the law.

Respect special treatment when received. Express thanks for kudos and accept with humility.



Jupiter / Cancer

Fostering strong, healthy beliefs is one of the most nurturing activities to uphold.

Your body is your homeland.

Your beliefs are your bill of rights.

Your spirit is your constitution.



Saturn / Cancer

Live by Ben Franklin. "Early to bed, early to rise..." No? Okay, just get plenty of rest, then.

Redefine your protein intake such that it is perfectly consistent with your body's absorption ability.

Work hard. Play harder.

Eliminate false modesty and self-deprecating tendencies.

Be gracious and complimentary. Accept praise with dignity.

Create mirth and engage in good humor.



Chiron / Libra

Relate to your nature and spirit.

Remembering that everyone has their "cross" (Chironic wound), do not meddle in the wounds of others unless a negotiation for your involvement in their space has been transacted.

Yield and cooperate, but never to the point of compromise.

Affirm you are enough, and that such affirmation gives you a leg upon which you can stand.



Uranus / Gemini

Honor duplicity, realizing that your offbeat idea is one side of the coin.

Cultivate respect for constancy and persistency.

Be bold and courageous when pitching.

Listen to feedback and apply what relates. Data solidifies the arc of tangents.



Neptune / Leo

Go Hollywood. Believe in the dream no matter what the odds.

Apply vanity to the presentation of yourself in life.

Let your appearance speak the truth of your soul.

As for confidence, pretend you have it until it locks in.



Pluto / Cancer

Nurture the needs of your soul.

Feel what you feel.

Honor what you feel.

Be honest about what you feel with complete ownership over your emotional nature.



Haumea / Leo

Find the fun in fertile imagination.

Explore every creative pursuit you've always wanted to do and have never done.

Make every act in life a brilliant performance.

Stand centerstage in your consciousness. All lights beam on your agendas with primary focus.



Makemake / Gemini

Honor your crazy ideas.

Prototype your crazy ideas.

Write some great PR and present it to the world in traditional formats.

Believe the PR you write for yourself.



Eris / Taurus

Create your own value system.

Assess how economic strata, financial obligations and stuff affect your spirit.

Break addictions to the constraints of culture, social standards and success profiles.

Find your counterculture spark and brand it as cultural.

Waste no time on "pop" activities.



Sedna / Leo

Shake your head and clean out the cobwebs.

Do your research. Due diligence is key.

Take time to perceive and follow your body's reaction sensors before engaging in new adventures.

Engage every act as if it intends to further your soul.



You know, now that I think about it, this is an "occupy" campaign. Occupy our planet, honor the solar system and be a contributing participant on Earth whose actions and agendas lead to progress and evolution. Get involved in your life and accept planetary guidance.



This is Occupy Earth Part I!



Part II comes next week... ready or not.



So, as the year winds down are you finally going to sign on for that consultation? Get yourself a galactic or relationship report as a template for going forward? Maybe purchase the Galactic Trilogy CD to alter the way you view astrology forever (and in a good way)? Get ordering and scheduling. Venus and Mars will retrograde soon and you'll be more prepared than most if you do.

Upcoming showings of my short film, Mirage at Zabul Province:
Cinesol Film Festival
Saturday, November 16, 2013, 12:10 PM, South Texas College, Harlingen, TX



Mirage at Zabul Province ~ Official Film Website



Quick Answers to Questions & Consultation, One Stop Shopping

Order Solar Fire 8!

Quote from: sky otter on November 14, 2013, 12:11:13 AM
ah yes the arm of sag.. or is it the 13th sign ...bwhahahahahahahah

The Milky Way - Welcome to your New Home Galaxy!
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/forum/index.php?topic=152.msg1366#msg1366

well you can't see that unless you sign in  8) ;D

and
as usual ..ahead of most with the info Z...

i had seen a bit of that before
verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy interesting

and may explain this comet movements

tanks bunches
;)

I am still trying to find out more abut this 'region os space' we are entering. NASA mentioned it, then they told us they found the portals...

but I haven't had much time to follow up on all that

One quick link 

"entering a denser region of space"

Earth approaching denser region of space- collison dangers increasing
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/earth-approaching-denser-region-of-space-collison-dangers-increasing/

"entering a new region of space" gets Voyager stuff

i can't remember where i read that portal thing.. but i will check it out as soon as i have some time

i think it deserves it's own thread..

and if nasa mentions it.. it must be old news...now there's an oxymoron  ;)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/15/comet-ison-visible-naked-eye_n_4280731.html

Comet ISON Visible To Naked Eye After Outburst Of Activity, Observers Say

Space.com  |  By Joe Rao
Posted: 11/15/2013 9:09 am EST


Get ready for a stellar show. The much-anticipated Comet ISON is now visible to the naked eye according to reports from many observers.

Comet ISON — the potential "comet of the century" — has suddenly brightened in an outburst of activity with just two weeks to go before it literally grazes the surface of the sun.

In recent months, Comet ISON has repeatedly befuddled forecasters trying to anticipate just how bright it will ultimately become. But earlier this week, the comet's brightening trend again seemed to sputtering and stalling, but more recent observations suggest a sudden and radical upsurge in brightness. [Photos of Comet ISON: A Potentially Great Comet]

(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/o-come10.jpg)


An hour before sunrise on Monday morning, November 18, catch a sight of the elusive planet Mercury, with brightening Comets ISON and Lovejoy as a bonus.

Comet ISON lightens up, literally

Comet ISON is now in full outburst mode, becoming many times brighter over just the past few days. Astronomers measure the brightness of objects in the night sky as magnitude, in which the brighter an object is, the lower its magnitude number. The human eye can perceive objects as faint as magnitude +6.5.

According to veteran comet observer, John Bortle, Comet ISON was shining only at magnitude +8.5 on Monday (Nov. 11) morning — more than six times too dim to be visible to the unaided eye. But by Wednesday morning, the comet's brightness had increased three-fold brightening to +7.3. [8 Essential Facts About Comet ISON]

If that was a surprise, an even bigger one was waiting for Bortle on Thursday morning (Nov. 14).

"Ready to go at 4:45 a.m. but I couldn't figure out what the funny-looking, blotted, star that came into view was," Bortle said. "[Was my] seeing that bad? But, no, the 'blotted star' was, in fact, at the comet's position! Getting to the point, the little but intensely condensed, globular cluster-looking comet was a whopping magnitude 5.4 — two full magnitudes brighter than just 24 hours ago! This makes for a three magnitude total rise since my observation on Monday."

(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/o-come11.jpg)
Justin Ng sent in a photo of comet ISON, taken in Singapore, Nov. 4, 2013.


In just 72 hours, Comet ISON increased nearly 16 times in brightness.

Carl Hergenrother, acting co-coordinator of the comet section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, has confirmed Bortle's observations.

"ISON has dramatically brightened over the past few days," Hergenrother told SPACE.com via email. "The latest observations put the comet around magnitude 5.7 to 6.1 which is a 2+ magnitude increase from this weekend. My own observations from this morning in 10x50 and 30x125 binoculars show a nice 'lollipop' comet with a very condensed blue-green head and a long narrow tail. The tail was over 1 degree in length even in the 10x50s. The comet may continue to brighten as the outburst is still in its early stages."


Unmistakable comet outburst

Long Island amateur Dennis Wilde was also impressed by ISON's appearance in the predawn sky Thursday morning.

(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/o-come12.jpg)
Astrophotographer Mike Hankey sent in a photo of Comet ISON, taken on Nov. 10, 2013, from his location in Auberry, CA (near Fresno). He has been imaging ISON regularly since Sept 21 and noticed a more prominent jet in recent days.

"ISON, while not as large as the full moon, was an impressive sight in the eyepiece," Wilde said. "The coma was compact with a very bright apparent nucleus, very bright green in color. The tail was very thin and bright near the coma and widened slightly as it extended out to almost 3.5 degrees as seen in the 15". It wasn't huge or extraordinarily bright but it was a great view nonetheless. I viewed the coma at up to 490x and it was uniformly dense and bright. There was no indication of the start of any breakup. After finding it with the telescope it was quite easy to pick out the coma with the [binoculars]."

This outburst is not completely unusual since ISON has demonstrated short "spurts" of brightening over the past few weeks, but they were quickly followed by abrupt slow-down in its brightening trend.

So will the current outburst persist until the comet arrives at the sun on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28)?

"Whether by chance we have caught the comet at the peak of the outburst is certainly debatable (to me rather improbable) and it may well still brighten further," Bortle said.

"The comet may continue to brighten as the outburst is still in its early stages," Hergenrother said. "Whether this outburst will be a short-lived event or the beginning of a more active phase is still to be seen."

This sudden upsurge in brightness is certainly very good for a comet that until now seemed to be running well behind in brightness predictions. It seems now that we can feel a little more optimistic about this enigmatic object putting on show for us later this month on into early December.

Comet ISON was first discovered by Russian amateur astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012. The comet is officially designated C/2012 S1 (ISON), with ISON standing for International Scientific Optical Network.

The comet is rapidly approaching its Nov. 28 perihelion and as a result it is becoming more and more difficult to observe low near the east-southeast horizon in the dawn sky. Still, observers with access to a clear horizon may be able to follow ISON for about another week.

Next Monday morning (Nov. 18), ISON will be passing close to the bright 1st magnitude star Spica in Virgo. Using the handle of the Big Dipper, sweep an arc to the brilliant orange star Arcturus. Then continue that arc on to Spica. Using binoculars, ISON should still be readily be visible as a fuzzy star with a short tail.

Will it still be visible to the unaided eye? Check it out for yourself!

Editor's note: If you snap an amazing picture of Comet ISON, Comet Lovejoy or any other night sky view that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send photos, comments and your name and location to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

You can follow the latest Comet ISON news, photos and video on SPACE.com.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on SPACE.com.

and for those who need an app for that..here ya go...lol




http://www.nbcnews.com/science/new-app-points-way-comet-ison-so-you-can-find-2D11603761

New app points the way to Comet ISON so you can find it in night sky
Megan Gannon Space.com
15 hours ago



The anticipation is building for Comet ISON's potentially dazzling night sky show this month and a new mobile app promises to help skywatchers spot the comet with telescopes, binoculars and their own eyes.


Called Comet Watch, the free app is available for the iPhone or iPad. Updated by the minute, the app promises to point users in the direction of Comet ISON, whose location can change quickly. The comet is already visible to the naked eye and is on track for a planned close encounter with the sun on Thanksgiving (Nov. 28).

In addition to identifying Comet ISON, Comet Watch also provides the details on how to identify the locations of constellations, individual stars, galaxies, nebulas and even SETI research targets are in relation to the comet, the app's makers say. [Amazing Photos of Comet ISON by Stargazers]

An astronomy app company called Distant Suns released the program in partnership with Astronomy magazine. You can download Comet Watch at the iTunes store.

Comet ISON was discovered by Russian amateur astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012 and now is visible to the naked eye. The comet's official designation is C/2012 S1 (ISON), with ISON standing for International Scientific Optical Network.


Comet ISON's plunge toward the sun started 10,000 years ago when it left a distant band of space rocks in the Oort cloud. After traveling millions of miles through the solar system, the comet is on track to pass within just 730,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) of the sun during its Thanksgiving Day flyby.

If the comet survives this dangerous dive — and not all researchers are optimistic it will — it could light up the night sky in a spectacle visible to the naked eye during the next several weeks. Stargazers are already capturing stunning images of the comet through telescopes.

Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of Comet ISON or any other celestial sight that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact Managing Editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

You can follow the latest Comet ISON news, photos and videos on Space.com.

Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @SPACEdotcom, Facebook  or  Google+. Originally published on Space.com.

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/q71/s720x720/1451599_670959079610622_1364939546_n.jpg)

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3701/10902775643_a82c147f6c_o.jpg)

I had additional set of subs with 120sec exposure, but managed to make only 8 of them.
Processing them with dynamic range compression showed even more details of the core.

Sergio Kaminsky - Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/astroscience/10902775643/in/photostream/)

ISON Grows Wings

(http://larrywtaylor.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/ufo_ison_wings1.jpg)

(http://api.ning.com/files/7U-JG7rftqSfNGcYSkhIlrQ9G1ipQ6s5y6qFS8aVBPEBCKREClBqunlOmxovFDBEYhSBtqPTulFCAs0bFT8lqoiP4t6gsP14/isonwings.jpg)

3 Days ago

(http://www.redorbit.com/media/uploads/2013/11/ISON_111813.jpg)

(http://www.sott.net/image/image/s7/157844/large/tz52896d70.jpg)

ISON-Nov.-15-Damian

(http://astrobob.areavoices.com/files/2013/11/ISON-Nov.-15-Damian-1024x642.jpg)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMYd7byfx_4

well as ususal  when anything interesting is in the sky we are clouded over..so i am
watching here...sigh

the pic in reply 91 looks very diamond like.. or even ship like
yep
just plain-ass wierd

Z,  When the comet went bird like was it then in front of the camera and we are seeing the multi trails as they expand out from behind it. Even if it is 1 degree ahead I would think we would see the photo as wings. An optical illusion... I still only find the one rock in the center with a lot of trails. This rock must be made up of several elements that burn off in differnt directions at the same time. No spaceship, just a confused rock, confussing people. ::) ..Deuem

I have NO IDEA  I am trying to track images to the source... but getting conflicting images.

Until they are sourced, they could be fake. The ones taken by telescopes by private people could be manipulated for focus

Quote from: sky otter on November 22, 2013, 04:22:44 PM
well as ususal  when anything interesting is in the sky we are clouded over..so i am
watching here...sigh

best viewing they say starts Nov 24th... I will have to drive out of town as we have a mountain to the east

Quote from: zorgon on November 22, 2013, 02:15:43 AM
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3701/10902775643_a82c147f6c_o.jpg)

I had additional set of subs with 120sec exposure, but managed to make only 8 of them.
Processing them with dynamic range compression showed even more details of the core.

Sergio Kaminsky - Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/astroscience/10902775643/in/photostream/)

Yes, when the posted pic is enlarged, it has a very different shape, somewhat elongated whole with a separate center elongated-mass, and exterior curved shapes, end to end. Does everyone else see that?? I believe sky's comment about it looking "ship-like" means she sees it!

Click on the pic, to really see the detail!!

Ok, I would like to talk about the comet photo rdunk has in question.

I think we all agree this comet is a weird one. If yes read on.

I think we have seen it produce more than one trail:  read on

The close up shows a white section, call this the head and 3 distinct lines that bow out and then re-connect to another white area, call this the tail.  3 sections, head, lines and tail.  If you agree read on.

Where Opinion comes to play: read or not read but this is my opinion based on how Deuem sees it. [ I'm in the snake pit now ]

IMHO I see at least 3 comet trails that are spewing out causing the arc or bow and then coalescing in the rear to form the second white area. Again an optical illusion of reality! Not a UFO or mother ship with support arms. I use the word comet wake, because it reminds me of a boat going through the water and how the water is displaced.  It is not displacing space. It is displacing its own material.

If you have ever skied behind a boat you will see a cross area behind the engine wake where the 2 wakes go out and back in to cancel each other. Right behind that spot is the flattest water to ski in.

So IMHO I see nature at work here on a very weird comet and nothing else. I will leave the door open for closer better shots if found. This comet has to be made of several materials. Some hard some soft!  Next time around it will be even be better or fizzle out to just the hard stuff left.

At this time I just see a rock in the center with simple compression of the out gassing and nothing else.. 

Ok your turn in the pit!

Deuem

deuem
did i say it looks like a ship..YES
do i believe it is a ship...NO
however
i do think that anything is possible

i just wish i could get eyes on it..but our skies are grey
if's it's not natural it's man made..but grey just the same

your explaination is very understandable..thanks

but

your process pic is awesome   8)

Quote from: sky otter on November 23, 2013, 01:52:14 PM
[snip]

your explaination is very understandable..thanks

but

your process pic is awesome   8)

That's because the process is smarter than me..  deuem program loves comets....

  Please forgive me for expressing an opinion. However, I see a swarm of
smaller rocks.May have already broken up..
   rubicon

O8rubicon

there are absolutely no apologies needed for having an opinion

really the more the better for discovery
and
that's an interesting observation



i have tons of opinions and i only apologize if i think i was mean with them

it's all good

and welcome

Regardless of what is actually going on with this "comet", this shot of the interior make-up shows a finiteness that one (me) would not normally expect to see, as a "comet" flares through the universe.

Also, I do wonder about the actual size of the "white section", as at this distance, and as clearly we can see it, it must be pretty big.

By the way, several days ago I did make a comparison of ISON's distance from the Sun as ISON goes around it. I think it interesting that ISON'S distance from the Sun will equal about one Sun diameter length - 800,000 miles plus/minus. :)

Sky requested me to bring this work over to her thread. It is the flicker photo worked.


(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa458/deuem/SergioKaminsky-Flickr.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/deuem/media/SergioKaminsky-Flickr.jpg.html)

(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa458/deuem/SergioKaminskyDeuemDT.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/deuem/media/SergioKaminskyDeuemDT.jpg.html)

And the Questionable Mother Rock Ship, Dig in...

(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa458/deuem/SergioKaminskycloseup.jpg) (http://s1198.photobucket.com/user/deuem/media/SergioKaminskycloseup.jpg.html)

Have fun, what do you all see?
Deuem

thanks Deuem

ya know ususally when you do this thing that you do i see something different in the work up
but this object seems to keep it's shape

so is it two solid objects side by side with lots of energy around them or two blank spots
between front and back power points..

beats me

just plain-ass wierd

ah ha..nasa knows all...




http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/22/nasa-new-how-to-cook-comet-video_n_4325094.html?utm_hp_ref=science


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IxM_9AVaXc

NASA's New 'How To Cook A Comet' VIDEO Comes Just In Time
The Huffington Post  |  Posted: 11/22/2013 3:52 pm EST

You don't need NASA to tell you how to cook an egg. Mac and cheese? You can handle that too. But when it comes to knowing how to "cook" a comet, NASA's probably your best bet -- especially now that the space agency just released a fascinating new video entitled, um, "How To Cook A Comet."

As a comet approaches the sun, it's heated by solar radiation -- and material on its surface changes directly from solid to gaseous form. Called sublimation, this process gives rise to the characteristic plume of dust that trails behind the comet. The comet will disintegrate if it's not strong enough to withstand the sun's intense heat and strong gravitational pull.

NASA's new video comes just in time for skywatchers with an interest in Comet ISON, which has been called the "comet of the century." ISON is expected to reach its closest approach to the sun on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28.

Will the space rock be cooked to oblivion? Astronomers are keeping a watchful eye.

As NASA says in the video's YouTube description:

Even if the comet does not survive, tracking its journey will help scientists understand what the comet is made of, how it reacts to its environment, and what this explains about the origins of the solar system. Closer to the sun, watching how the comet and its tail interact with the vast solar atmosphere can teach scientists more about the sun itself.

My money is on it will make it around. See if I win. I think this comet is pitted, like coral and has collected a lot of space junk that is now burning off in at least 6 trails. The main head of the comet seems to me to be in one piece and very large and hard. [not really burning yet]

The sun might eat it but I don't think it will break it. If it makes it then the surface should be smoother on the way out. All the pot holes will be melted full again. Way out in space it will hit other objects and collect new material for the next light show when it comes around again.

Deuem

it'sssss meltinggggggggggggggggggg.....oh no

well we are getting snow and rain and snow..so i know i would get eyes-on..sigh


http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/26/tech/comet-ison-update/

Much anticipated comet may be in trouble By Amanda Barnett, CNN
updated 1:54 PM EST, Tue November 26, 2013 


(CNN) -- ISON, the most closely watched comet in recent years, may be falling apart as it nears its close encounter with the sun.

Comets are giant snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust that can be several miles in diameter. When they get near the sun, they warm up and spew out some of the gas and dirt, creating a tail that can stretch for thousands of miles. Most comets are in the outer part of our solar system. When they get close enough for us to see them, scientists study them for clues about how our solar system formed.

When ISON was first discovered, hopes were high that it might become visible to the naked eye, meaning everyone might be able see it, not just those with good telescopes who took the trouble to find it. There was talk it might even rival some of the Great Comets like Halley's or Hale-Bopp and spread a huge tail across the sky.

But some observers on Tuesday reported online that the comet is not nearly as bright as it has been in recent days and that it may be pouring out dust.

This could mean the comet's core, or nucleus, has "completely disrupted, releasing an enormous volume of dust," NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign says in its November 25 online update.

But other observers say images taken by NASA's STEREO spacecraft are "encouraging evidence that the comet still exists," Padma Yanamandra-Fisher with the ISON campaign told reporters on the campaign's Facebook page. She added that it's too early to tell what kind of shape the comet is in, though.

"I believe the next couple of days will be crucial to determine the post-perihelion appearance of the comet," Yanamandra-Fisher said. Perihelion is the point in an object's path that is closest to the sun.

5 things to know about Comet ISON

Whatever its final fate, she said, ISON has "provided a wonderful window into the world of comets. The full understanding of this comet and its place in the taxonomy of comets will only come in hindsight."

ISON was discovered in September of 2012 by astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok using a telescope near Kislovodsk, Russia, that is part of the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON). ISON -- officially named C/2012 S -- was 585 million miles away at the time. Its amazing journey through the solar system has been chronicled by amateur astronomers and by space telescopes. NASA has even created a toolkit for ISON fans.

Confusion about its fate isn't new for ISON watchers.

"From the moment of discovery, ISON has been a confusing, frustrating, dynamic and unpredictable object. In other words, it has been a very typical comet!" said Karl Battams, an astrophysicist with the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington.

The glare of the sun has blocked most ground-based observations, but NASA has a fleet of spacecraft watching as ISON plunges toward the sun. If it hasn't already broken up, it will skim about 730,000 miles above its surface on Thanksgiving Day and could put on a sky show in early December when it moves out of the glare of the sun.

The comet will make its closest approach to Earth on December 26, and, no, it won't hit us. But for now, we wait to learn ISON's fate.

"I am excited at marking the progress of this comet that has captivated the world from its discovery and the possibility of it being a Great Comet," Yanamandra-Fisher told CNN.com. "I am glad that I was able to be part of its journey."



.................................................

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/11/25/comet_ison_sudden_drop_in_ice_output.html?wpisrc=burger_bar

Quick ISON Update: Is It Still There?

By Phil Plait


A report has just come in from Michal Drahus, a postdoctoral astronomer at Caltech, saying that far-infrared observations of the comet show a sudden drop in light emitted by certain kinds of molecules (specifically HCN embedded in ice), while others are reporting that, at roughly the same time, the comet has apparently blasted out a lot of dust. This is not yet confirmed, but a possible explanation is that the comet disrupted.

That's not the only possible explanation! It's been suggested (message #12) that ice is







..........................................



Last glimpse of Comet ISON before Thursday encounter with sun
By Mike Wall

Published November 26, 2013
Space.com

A NASA probe orbiting Mercury has returned new photos of Comet ISON, and a number of other spacecraft are all set to document the icy wanderer's much-anticipated solar flyby on Thursday, Nov. 28.

NASA's Messenger spacecraft snapped new images of Comet ISON on Nov. 19 as the icy object sped by Mercury at a distance of 22.5 million miles. Meanwhile, the agency's sun-studying Stereo-A probe captured its own ISON photo on Nov. 21, and a phalanx of other solar space observatories will watch the comet's close encounter with the sun on Thursday, which will bring it within just 730,000 miles of the solar surface.

rest of article here:  http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/11/26/comet-ison-spotted-by-mercury-probe/



.................................



http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2013/comet-ison-live-blog.html



Comet ISON live blog
Posted by Emily Lakdawalla and Bruce Betts

2013/11/26 04:45 CST

http://www.space.com/17933-nasa-television-webcasts-live-space-tv.html



WATCH LIVE THURSDAY: Comet ISON Buzzes the Sun -
NASA Webcast @ 1 p.m. ETby SPACE.com


Staff   |   November 27, 2013 12:00pm ET

NASA will hold a live Google+ hangout on Thursday (Nov. 28)
to webcast the solar passage of Comet ISON  as it whips around the sun.


The webcast will begin at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) and last until 3:30 p.m. EST (2030 GMT).


You will be able to watch the webcast live in the window below at the start time.


LATEST STORY: Comet ISON's Thursday Sun Encounter a Thanksgiving Feast for NASA  

Video of ISON from the last 5 days -


NASA captures Comet ISON speeding toward the sun

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/27/comet-ison/3767561/ (http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/27/comet-ison/3767561/)



Umm... whats that other thing besides the comet? Another one?

Very good question!

oh boo hoo
it was even on this evenings news..some good pics
gotta go check out the nasa pics   :(


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


Comet Ison destroyed in Sun passage


By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News
28 November 2013 Last updated at 16:21 ET

Comet Ison was severely battered in its encounter with the Sun, and largely destroyed.

Telescopes saw the giant ball of ice and dust disappear behind the star, but only a dull streamer re-emerge.

Astronomers continued to search for the object, but it eventually became clear that the much vaunted "Comet of the Century" had gone out with a whimper.

Despite its great size, Ison was probably torn apart in the immense heat and tidal forces so close to the Sun.

The European Space Agency's experts on the Soho Sun-watching satellite called the death of the comet at about 21:30 GMT.

"Our Soho scientists have confirmed, Comet Ison is gone," Esa's twitter feed announced.

Ison had captivated skywatchers with its promise ever since it was discovered by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in 2012.

A "fresh", 2km-wide object flung in towards the inner Solar System from its home far beyond the outer planet Neptune, it was hoped it might produce a brilliant tail that would arc across the night sky, perhaps for weeks.

And, as it got closer and closer to the Sun, its ices did indeed begin to vaporise, releasing dust that shimmered in a distinctive trailing stream.

But from early on, it was clear Ison was unlikely to be spectacular; it was just not brightening in the way experienced comet watchers had anticipated.

This led scientists to fear for its survival when it eventually grazed past the star at a distance of just 1.2 million km at 18:35 GMT on Thursday.

Soho followed Ison as it began its sweep around the back of the Sun, but then failed to pick up a coherent object at the time it was supposed to re-emerge. A streak in the imagery was interpreted as the last fizzling of debris.

Other telescopes such as Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory could detect no clear sign of the comet's nucleus, either.

Passing close to the Sun, Ison would have been subjected to temperatures over 2,000C. And the immense gravity of the star would also have pulled and squeezed on the object as it tumbled end over end.

All the evidence suggests Ison's nucleus was torn apart in the close pass, in the same way that Comet Lovejoy - a previous hopeful in 2011 - was disrupted.

Comets will stay in the news, however. Next year, in October, Comet Siding Spring will breeze past Mars at a distance of little more than 100,000km. And then in November, the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission will attempt to place a probe on the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

I wonder if it went into a sunspot...  There are some who are saying that the sun is a transfer point to other places in the universe and that the spots are openings to enter and emerge from.  If ISON was a ship and went into a sun spot...  Maybe it was a faction here that went home?

Just musing.

I guess I lost that bet, gold to you sky. darn comets
D

ISON possibly just stopped to recharge the batteries!! ;)

well belive it or not the evening news had some really good pics as it neared the sun.. i thought they were they actual event but can't find them on line anywhere..
maybe i wasn't paying close enough attention and it was an animation

i'll add them if i can find them






http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/28/comet-ison-nasa/3776419/

Did comet ISON flame out on its trip around the sun?
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY 9:01 p.m. EST November 28, 2013

Like Icarus, comet ISON appears to have flown too close to the sun and broken up in its corona.

Scientists had hoped that the comet from the farthest reaches of the solar system would be able to slingshot around the sun Thursday and emerge streaming a tail visible to the naked eye next month.

But after NASA telescopes tracked the comet plunging into the sun's corona, no evidence of it emerged on the other side. Scientists said they would continue to analyze imagery from the telescopes for signs of the comet or debris from it breaking up.

"At this point, I do suspect that the comet has broken up and died," says Karl Battams, a comet scientist for the Naval Research Laboratory, who joined a NASA and Google+ chat from Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona. "Let's at least give it a couple of more hours before we start writing the obituary."

Even if the comet broke up, it offered a very rare opportunity to see how one of the oldest objects in the solar system interacted with the sun's magnetic field.

The comet originated in the Oort Cloud, a region halfway from the sun to the next closest star. Scientists say comet ISON would have been nudged by gravity from other stars into its 5-million-year plunge toward the sun.

Although scientists have tracked other comets from the Oort Cloud, Battams said this one was the first in recorded astronomy from so far away that passed so close to the sun, passing the sun at a distance of about 1 million miles.

"This is a spectacularly rare event," Battams said. "We have no idea when we're going to see something this amazing again."

The reason scientists study comets is to find out what they contain because they were born along with the solar system 4.5 billion years ago. When comets pass close enough to the sun, their ice melts away and dust gives off signals that describe its composition.

Even if comet ISON evaporated and broke apart near the sun, its behavior in the sun's magnetic field will help scientists understand more about both comets and the sun.

"This gives us an opportunity to see and study these magnetic fields in a way we normally couldn't do," said Alex Young, a solar physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "Nature is giving us this unique opportunity to study these magnetic fields."

ISON (pronounced ICE-on) stands for International Scientific Optical Network. It was discovered in September 2012 by a pair of amateur astronomers in Russia.

Two NASA telescopes that tracked the comet's approach to the sun were called SOHO, for Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, and SDO, the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

SOHO has a metal coin that blocks out the sun's direct light, so that the corona of fountains of magnetic field can be seen splashing off the sun. Comet ISON was visible in SOHO's red-and-blue images as it approached the sun with a long tail.

But as it approached its closest point to the sun at 1:48 p.m. ET, the half-mile point of the comet faded and the tail thousands of miles across became fuzzier. That suggested it might have broken up.

"We're not really seeing the head of the comet," Phil Plait, an astronomer and author who writes for Slate's Bad Astronomy blog, said of a SOHO image taken at 12:24 p.m. "That to me looks like the nucleus broke up."

SDO, which showed the sun in ultraviolet light as a smoldering yellow marble, glimpsed comet ISON racing toward the sun. But as SDO shifted to watch the comet reappear on the other side, ISON never showed.

This was puzzling because Dean Pesnell, a solar physicist and project scientist for SDO, said even if the comet broke up, its remains should have been visible in the magnetic field for 45 minutes.

"I'd like to know what happened to our half-mile of material that was going around the sun," Pesnell said of the comet. "We should be able to see something."

Scientists said they would continue to review images from 11 telescopes worldwide that tracked the comet, to learn what became of it and learn more about the sun.

"I'm not very hopeful at this point," Plait said of comet ISON.



...........................................

http://www.nola.com/science/index.ssf/2013/11/comet_ison_appears_to_have_bro.html



Comet ISON appears to have broken apart near the sun

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Scientists say it appears a comet from the fringes of the solar system didn't survive its close encounter with the sizzling sun.

Images from NASA spacecraft showed Comet ISON approaching for its slingshot around the sun on Thursday, but nothing coming out on the other side.

In a Google+ hangout, U.S. Navy solar researcher Karl Battams said "ISON probably hasn't survived this journey."

Phil Plait, an astronomer who runs the "Bad Astronomy" blog, agreed, saying "I don't think the comet made it."

Still, he said, it wouldn't be all bad news if the 4.5-billion-year-old rock broke up into pieces, because astronomers might be able to study the pieces and learn more about comets.

well this first guy says that it came out the other side
but nasa said that it hasn't yet...
so dang there is still hope it might..or has
guess there is more to the story


not done yet.. ;D




BREAKING NEWS -- COMET ISON SURVIVES!!! -- 28 NOV 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swly4IlkW4g



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swly4IlkW4g



..................

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/comet-ison-vanishes-puff-mystery-it-goes-around-sun-2D11670914

Comet ISON leaves a mystery behind as it goes around the sun

Alan Boyle, Science Editor NBC News
2 hours ago

vid at link


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https://plus.google.com/events/c8t7i5dbr1k50oq89giloiqe8rc#events/c8t7i5dbr1k50oq89giloiqe8rc

NASA Hangout  Comet Ison live



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q03I1B_yrPg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q03I1B_yrPg

COMET ISON, R.I.P?


Evidence is mounting that comet ISON did not survive its brush with the sun earlier today. At 01:45 EST on Nov. 28th, Thanksgiving Day in the USA, the comet was supposed to pass a little more than a million miles above the surface of the sun. As a new movie from SOHO shows, the comet had already disintegrated. Click to set the scene in motion, and pay careful attention to the head of the comet:

(http://spaceweather.com/images2013/28nov13/rip_anim2.gif?PHPSESSID=smo8tjob05u6rfgah9pms9eci1)


COMET ISON--UPDATE:

New images from SOHO show something emerging from behind the sun. It could be a small fragment of Comet ISON's nucleus or perhaps a "headless comet"--a stream of debris marking the remains of the comet's disintegrated core. Watch the movie and stay tuned for updates.

(http://spaceweather.com/images2013/28nov13/rip_anim2.gif?PHPSESSID=smo8tjob05u6rfgah9pms9eci1)

http://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=28&month=11&year=2013

There were suspicions the comet core was breaking up as it passed Mercury's orbit.  Now kinda looks like the tidal gravity forces of passing so close to the sun were too much for the little guy and may have finished off the job.

Quote from: A51Watcher on November 28, 2013, 04:07:47 AM
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/27/comet-ison/3767561/ (http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/27/comet-ison/3767561/)

Umm... whats that other thing besides the comet? Another one?

Is the video still there?  I can't see it using my browser....

We need to see the frames after that.  The comet was expected to lose mass.  Does the smaller object continue to exist in the frames beyond those?

ISON is still alive, although it lost around 4/5 of its mass (rough estimate)

from Helioviewer - SOHO LASCO C3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trj93vKPEMI


you can get an animated gif of the entire passage of ISON during perihelion from SOHO Movie Theater, here:

http://soho.esac.esa.int/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater

(insert: LASCO C3, date: 2013-11-28 to 2013-11-29 )

wow.. it lost size but there it goes...it did make it   ;D

Yes, it did.

However, the SOHO C3 and C2 images of the perihelion passage are weird,
for 2 reasons:

1. - at the closest approach to the Sun, visible on LASCO C2, ISON appeared to disintegrate.
But it didn't.

2.- right after perihelion, in these last hours, ISON is developing a new tail, a dual, very divergent tail.
And the direction of this dual tail is NOT opposite to the position of the Sun, as it should be, but roughly at 90° to the Sun.

It does not make sense.
Weird.


You can check the NASA animated gif here:

http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2013/11/29/weird_anim.gif (http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2013/11/29/weird_anim.gif)

You can check in more detail, and step by step, on Helioviewer:

http://www.helioviewer.org/ (http://www.helioviewer.org/)

insert: SOHO LASCO C3 & C2

-------------------------------------

I do not know if ISON will be visible with naked eye. Too early to tell.
I also wonder if it changed the previously predicted path.

OK, so I did win the bet, pay off at the Deuem window.

ISON said, "I'll be back"

Quote from: Pimander on November 29, 2013, 03:14:04 PM
Is the video still there?  I can't see it using my browser....

Yeah Pim, it's still there.

It's not a utoob video though otherwise I would paste the code.

It's some proprietary setup usatoday has set up.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/27/comet-ison/3767561/ (http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/27/comet-ison/3767561/)

Here is a good look at Spaceweather.com. 


http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2013/11/29/weird_anim2.gif


;D

Oh wait ... Heywood Floyd all ready got it .

Quote from: A51Watcher on November 30, 2013, 04:16:13 AM
Yeah Pim, it's still there.

I just can't view it.  Will try other browsers later.  >:(

It could make sense that there is a tail that travels differently.  Higher mass ejecta may not be effected by the solar wind and could be influenced by other forces.  You see how the comet itself is made to swing around the sun?  Well what makes you think that matter could not be slightly lighter and not be made to "swing" at a slightly higher rate?  Sorry but it is not mysterious in terms of orbital dynamics....  I may have explained it poorly but it is not unusual.

Quote from: Pimander on November 30, 2013, 05:27:27 AM
I just can't view it.  Will try other browsers later.  >:(

No worries, a quick screen cap and u/l to the toob and here we are -


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21gQzHR-yvw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21gQzHR-yvw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21gQzHR-yvw)



The comparitive size and proximity to us was a bit disconcerting, but no word from msm?

What really bothers me about this whole story is that NASA Comet ISON Google+ Hangout "presentation" seemed to show just one frame of the sun the whole time, as you can see in the videos bellow:

If this Video is correct, Nasa has hidden the real footage from us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yKx6D_Rq7U

QuoteNov. 28, SDO AIA 211 frozen frame during ISON perihelion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSi7utIvAM4

Where is the public footage available which shows ISON passage behind the sun? Not need to say it is obvious that NASA, Russians and Chinese will have access to it.

Why is this data censored? Not a comet? A danger to earth? Some kind of interaction with the sun that defies our view about actual science?

To me, they know something and they want(need?) us in the dark about it.

Anyways this is the last image from ison:

(http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/c3/1024/latest.jpg)

and it seems to be fading away, but can we really believe in official pictures these days?

Maybe there is a reasonable explanation about why this happened, but i cant find one.

Peace.

Very interesting, Russo; it does appear that they don't want us to really see what happened...

I find it highly unlikely that the surface of the sun did a freeze frame and held it's breath while Ison zipped by... 8)


Good to see you here once more...


seeker

What struck Me is the timing.  It goes behind the black circle and seems to emerge later than it would - by what seems to Me maybe a second or some less than I expected it to.  Maybe I just have a bad sense of timing?

What I envisioned, using the model of the sun being a "jump point" with the spots being openings that allow ships in and out of the jump point, one ship incoming and another leaving - all with knowledge that They are trying to dupe this planet, so maintaining roughly the "correct" trajectory.

Changing of the guard?

At any rate, given that there were several comets and all observational commentary was pointed at only one (with aside mentions now and then of the others), SOMEthing is wrong.  That They hide the true data from the perihelion is all the more telling.

When it goes around that black circle it has to take a 180 degree turn around the sun. Thats a lot of mileage. Deuem

Quote from: deuem on December 01, 2013, 03:44:05 AM
When it goes around that black circle it has to take a 180 degree turn around the sun. Thats a lot of mileage. Deuem

But what has that to do with the expected timing?  I am VERY good at grasping the effects and expectations of gravity (played a game once called "Gravity" and the owner got mad that I got a perfect score the second launch I made - and kept scoring much higher than He in subsequent plays), and there seems to be a hesitation in behind the black circle.

Quote from: deuem on December 01, 2013, 03:44:05 AM
When it goes around that black circle it has to take a 180 degree turn around the sun.

that seems a lot! can the public see it?

Quote from: Amaterasu on November 30, 2013, 05:56:04 PM
That They hide the true data from the perihelion is all the more telling.

I wish i could see. Afterall its a public agency does not it?

Quote from: the seeker on November 30, 2013, 01:55:22 PM
Very interesting, Russo; it does appear that they don't want us to really see what happened...

I find it highly unlikely that the surface of the sun did a freeze frame and held it's breath while Ison zipped by... 8)
seeker

This just wrong, you know!

QuoteGood to see you here once more...

thanks for the welcome seeker. Its just terrible have to check public information nowadays.

View from inside Comet ISON.... :D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDMAEzzFy9A

Somehow I knew you posted this here after looking at Fb.. ;D

Is the space weapons based what they want us not to be aware of?

In this video, you can see something comming in the path of comet ison after the perihellium. Its hard to say if this is true, at least for me. But it really seems some sort of projectile hits ison. Im really not sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY4F5qklc80

Now... If this is true.. is it not make the whole thing worse? Will we see a shower of meteorites in dec/jan? Was Carol Rosin saying the truth about Werner Von Braun?

I want to know where that shot originated FROM!

The last time I checked the NASA orbit data we would be 3 months ahead of the comet by the time it came around. It would have to take a 90 degree turn to hit us. We're moving at 5,000 mph away from it. i am not worried about this one. I will wait for the next one.
Deuem

ISON (Or what is left) will cross earth's orbit on Dec 30th, however it will be considerable elevated off the orbital plane by about 0.442 AUs "north". (About 40 million miles)  No worries.

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=C%2F2012%20S1;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikyHy3fo0Hg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikyHy3fo0Hg

The object is to do with Venus in some way because it tracks across the screen at the same pace (need to watch the later part of the video to see the image starting from far right to left).

if you listen to the terrible music..it's  take me out to the ball game..
you know the words..i don't care if i ever come back
somebody was havin fun.. :)


Comet ISON's Ghost Seen By Two Spacecraft



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNvjJ38yKU8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNvjJ38yKU8

Published on Dec 5, 2013

NASA's Cassini probe has captured the highest resolution video yet of Saturn's odd, hexagon shaped jet stream that spins around the gas giants north pole. Read more here: http://goo.gl/xBU9s8

Credit: NASA / JPL

Category Science & Technology

LicenseStandard YouTube License

getting tired of NASA's "GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD" announcements only to get burnt toast :P

Ron as I told you earlier this evening about watching the Science channel show in the Planets, they kept advertising tomorrow's show on 'Super Comet Ison'. Can't wait to see what they have to say about that! Lol

Will try to catch it :D

But those shows are usually more hype than content :D

What's going on with the Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) images?

(http://archive.stsci.edu/hla/ison/combined.jpg)

Well that was the image I was interested in... so I finally found the official explanation :D

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)
Hubble, 2013 Apr 30
Combined 3-exposure image

QuoteSome bloggers have noted that the Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) Hubble images have some surprising features. Here we briefly explain the origin of the image structures.

Quick summary: The image is the result of combining 3 exposures that produce the 3 components, and the shapes are produced by the combined motion of the Hubble telescope and the comet. The images look exactly as expected.

The image from April 30, 2013 (released on July 16, 2013) using the F606W filter has attracted the most attention. That image (shown above) is the average of 3 separate Hubble exposures. The 3 exposures are available individually for display or download from the web page, as is the combined image. The table below shows the image of the comet in each of the 3 exposures along with information about the exposures.

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) Hubble observations on 2013 April 30 using F606W

Exposure 1      
hlsp_ison_hst_wfc3_130430a_f606w_v1   
Start time (UT): 2013-04-30 03:35:43
Exposure: 440 seconds

(http://archive.stsci.edu/hla/ison/exposure1.jpg)

Exposure 2 
hlsp_ison_hst_wfc3_130430c_f606w_v1   
Start time (UT): 2013-04-30 03:56:15
Exposure: 440 seconds

(http://archive.stsci.edu/hla/ison/exposure2.jpg)

Exposure 3
hlsp_ison_hst_wfc3_130430e_f606w_v1
Start time (UT): 2013-04-30 04:16:47
Exposure: 440 seconds

(http://archive.stsci.edu/hla/ison/exposure3.jpg)

QuoteYou can see that the 3 parts of the structure in the combined image result from the 3 different exposures. The comet itself does not have 3 pieces. They are an artifact that results from adding up the separate exposures.

The comet does not look the same in each exposure because both the comet and the Hubble telescope are moving during the exposure. The comet is blurred, just as a picture taken out the window of a moving car will be blurred. For this image the Hubble telescope was pointing very steadily and accurately at the background stars and galaxies rather than tracking the comet.

In this case, the largest part of the blurring is due to the motion of Hubble itself rather than the motion of the comet. Hubble is orbiting the Earth every 95 minutes. The third exposure ended 46 minutes after the start of the first exposure. During that time the telescope moved from one side of its orbit to the other, a distance of about 8000 miles (~13,000 km). Because the comet is relatively nearby (compared with the distant stars and galaxies), its apparent position among the stars changes due to the different viewing position. This effect is known as parallax. It is expected when observing Solar System targets, and can produce very obvious motion or blurring in images as Hubble whips around the Earth.

There is a nice discussion of the effects of parallax on the Comet ISON images in this YouTube video. It includes detailed modeling of the parallax in these particular images and shows that the observed pattern is exactly what is expected. Another YouTube video shows the effects of combining multiple exposures.

More information about the comet can be found at the Hubblesite ISON blog. There is a specific blog post about making the Hubble color image of Comet ISON.

archive@stsci.edu
2013 August 22

http://archive.stsci.edu/hla/ison/

just got to wondering about ison and this is what is out there now
good-bye comet...



http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2013/12/21/comet-ison-update-dec-21-hubble-searches-sees-nada/


Comet ISON update Dec. 21 – Hubble searches, sees nada

NASA brought the big gun to bear on our lost comet. On December 18, the Hubble Space Telescope slewed to Comet ISON's expected position and found nothing down to magnitude 25.  That's 100 million times fainter than the faintest star visible with the naked eye.

According to astronomer Hal Weaver, who planned the ISON picture session, that implies that remaining fragments would have to be smaller than about 500 feet (160 meters) in diameter.

Nothing is visible in any of the images in the photo panel above except the trails of stars and galaxies from the time exposures, reflections and the occasional zap of a cosmic ray. After Comet ISON broke apart under the searing heat of the sun and spread into a widening cloud of dust, there was a possibility that its remains would follow a slightly different orbit than the original predicted one. To make sure he was covered, Weaver photographed two possible comet locations, stacking several exposures together to enhance even the faintest objects.

"The images have been combined so that features not at the same place in the various images are suppressed. Any comet fragments would show up more clearly in this composite, though stars still show up as faint streaks", writes Zolt Lavay, author of the ISONblog at the Hubble site.

Again, nothing shows up in these either. There's probably something left of the comet, but the pieces are too small for even Hubble to see. Meanwhile, no observations of ISON from the ground have been made for nearly two weeks. Even the few reports from the beginning of the month, when the comet was presumably brighter, were mostly tentative.

What once compelled us to rise before dawn for a glimpse of one of nature's most fickle yet beautiful creations has dissipated to dust. There's speculation that a portion of its shards may return as an invisible meteor shower in mid-January, but don't count on it. Predicting this comet's near-term future is like guessing what the stock market will do next.
This entry was posted in Comets and tagged Comet ISON, dust, Hubble Space Telescope by astrobob. Bookmark the permalink.
12 thoughts on "Comet ISON update Dec. 21 – Hubble searches, sees nada" ................................................................


http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/193909261.html

Latest Updates on Comet ISON
by Alan MacRobert

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Only a dim "ghost of ISON" survived the comet's November 28th passage around the Sun. The comet's head dwindled away as it raced through the Sun's greatest heat, but a headless streak emerged into spacecraft view out from the other side of the encounter. It's traveling along the comet's originally prescribed track but fading steadily, with no sign of cometary activity. Nothing will be visible by eye from Earth.



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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADf5ABZkp_4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADf5ABZkp_4