REAL LIFE NEWS: SUPER-BRIGHT COMET COMING OUR WAY
by Hazed
We’re going to be treated to a show next year when a newly-discovered comet crosses the night sky - astronomers say it will be fifteen times brighter than the moon.
It’s due to show up in November 2013, and it will even be visible in broad daylight as it rounds the sun.
It’s called Comet ISON, because it was first spotted on photos taken using the
International Scientific Optical Network telescope. Right now it’s near Jupiter’s orbit so it’s very faint, but it’s going to get brighter and brighter as it moves inwards towards the sun, until it finally passes it less than two million km away next November.
Comets that approach the sun that closely are called sungrazers, for obvious reasons. There’s a chance the sun will cause it to break up - comets are just giant balls of rock and ice. But meanwhile, it’s going to be many times brighter than the last bright comet visitor, Comet McNaught, which was as bright as Venus in January 2007.
So put it in it your diary - you won’t want to miss the spectacular stargazing opportunity!
