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Newly Spotted Comet May Shine Among Brightest In History

Posted by timothy on from the until-bruce-willis-destroys-it dept.

Reader intellitech points to an article at National Geographic, from which he excerpts: "If astronomers' early predictions hold true, the holidays next year may hold a glowing gift for stargazers—a superbright comet, just discovered streaking near Saturn. Even with powerful telescopes, comet 2012 S1 (ISON) is now just a faint glow in the constellation Cancer. But the ball of ice and rocks might become visible to the naked eye for a few months in late 2013 and early 2014—perhaps outshining the moon, astronomers say. The comet is already remarkably bright, given how far it is from the sun, astronomer Raminder Singh Samra said. What's more, 2012 S1 seems to be following the path of the Great Comet of 1680, considered one of the most spectacular ever seen from Earth."

74 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT ON MY LOVE !! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Or however it goes !!

    1. Re:SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT ON MY LOVE !! by bunratty · · Score: 1

      You shine a little love on my life

      --
      What a fool believes, he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.
  2. More Corona peeze by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 4, Funny

    > asuperbright comet, just discovered streaking near Saturn

    Sweet -- look at the tail on that streaker!

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    1. Re:More Corona peeze by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Uh, no. You're looking at Uranus

    2. Re:More Corona peeze by epSos-de · · Score: 1

      Last time this happened, Jesus came down the sky and was instantly stalked down by the 3 kings who offered jewels to him. Honestly, this might be the same comet that the Bible is describing as the brightest star, 3 days before the birth of Jesus.

      --
      ~ Best man at your service.
  3. Whats more by Osgeld · · Score: 4, Funny

    "What's more, 2012 S1 seems to be following the path of the Great Comet of 1680, considered one of the most spectacular ever seen from Earth."

    got a link? no?

    http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Great+comet+of+1680&l=1

    jeez, if your going to reference something in an article take 2 seconds to post a link

    1. Re:Whats more by yotto · · Score: 4, Informative

      I love clicking on a link that purports to be informative, when I did nothing wrong myself, and be presented with a page that tells me to run javascript.

      How about an actual link?

      https://www.google.com/search?q=great+comit+of+1680
      or even better
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Comet_of_1680

      --
      Pulp Audio Weekly - Geek News and Reviews
    2. Re:Whats more by RobertLTux · · Score: 1

      Okay if we ever meet show me a printout of this posting and we will hit the nearest Starbucks for a coffee or something (must have proof you are the poster)

      --
      Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
    3. Re:Whats more by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      Why would you need a link to tell you about the Great Comet of 1680? Do you not consider yourself to be an educated person?

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    4. Re:Whats more by ElizabethGreene · · Score: 2

      This is timely. I just finished reading Lucifer's Hammer, a book about a massive comet strike. Interesting book. I found it intriguing how much of the book was still applicable despite its age.

    5. Re:Whats more by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      its common to post your references in material

    6. Re:Whats more by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      its 2012, if you dont know what lmgtfy,com is I kindly suggest you leave that rock a little more

    7. Re:Whats more by real-modo · · Score: 1

      Meh, what's second prize?

    8. Re:Whats more by RockDoctor · · Score: 1
      Citations, please, for your assertion that it is common to detail your references.

      I thought that it was common to not post references to things which are common knowledge. Of course, your idea of "common knowledge" may differ from mine. I look at the site's byline ("news for nerds") and expect to be typing to nerds with a reasonable degree of knowledge about the sciences.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    9. Re:Whats more by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      Sorry that I am not an expert in your field of interest, and sorry I am not a jack of all trades, master of none nerd, with entire encyclopedias memorized... and that you have nothing better to do with your life.

  4. I'll believe it when I see it by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm old enough to have heard this sort of speculation about Kohoutek as well.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
    1. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm old enough to have heard this sort of speculation about Kohoutek as well.

      That's fair enough, science hasn't changed since 1973. I believe that history will ultimately show that the decline of science started with the break-up of The Doors, though others contend that it was the rise of The Butts Band. Still others mark 1973 as the beginning of the end of civilisation itself, implying that the impact of the break-up of The Doors created tear in the fabric of human social history that was not simply limited to the decline of scientific endeavour.

    2. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I'm old enough to remember Comet Bennett, in the early winter of 1970. I walked to school every morning, keeping my eye fixed on it, much to the irritation of the drivers that I somewhat randomly shared the roads with.
          I had a 4.5" Newtonian back home; but telescopes are not the best means of looking at comets. A decent pair of 7x50 binoculars are much better.
          I'm looking forward to this one. I took some good pix of McNaught, just at sunset, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. This time I might do better.

    3. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by guttentag · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I'm just old enough to remember seeing Halley's Comet in '86 and telling my parents I'd be too old to remember the first sighting when it came back in 2061.

      And I remember the next day at school when the teacher asked if everyone saw the comet, and one person proudly announced that he watched it on TV. That was the first time I said the word "dumbass" in public. I have a terrible feeling that the percentage of kids who tell the class they saw the comet on TV (or "YouTwitFace" -- the future conglomerate of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook) will be much higher the next time around.

    4. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      So, what's the deal? Someone want to explain? My understanding of Kohoutek is limited to old "Snoopy" cartoons.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    5. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by Mashiki · · Score: 2

      I remember them saying the same thing about Haley's comet too. I've got the original article out of either Time or OMNI on it saying that it'll be so bright it'll outshine the moon as well. I remember seeing it as a kid, it looked like a slow moving satellite.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    6. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      YouTwitFace is now my official name for social networks. Thanks.

    7. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      For years my mother has been calling them all FaceTube.

    8. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

      Kohoutek was hyped to be very spectacular . . . folks were even wishfully speculating that it might have been the Three Wise Men Jesus Birthday Star.

      But it fizzled out. The Snoopy comics were probably more interesting.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    9. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by bruce_the_loon · · Score: 2

      Kohoutek was supposed to be a brilliant comet once it emerged from behind the sun on the outward leg of the orbit. What came out was what in pyrotechnic terms was a damp squib.

      One theory I heard posted about was that the comet's trajectory came too close to the sun and the heat actually burned the surface and fused it into a organic mess, like tar, and it was unable to vent as it should have. Another was that it broke up behind the sun.

      As with all things in Yankee culture, the name became a brand name for duds and failure.

      --
      Trying to become famous by taking photos. Visit my homepage please.
    10. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      Which apparition were you referring to? The 1982 one or the 1909 one? Both are just about credible.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    11. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by pjbgravely · · Score: 1

      Sorry about replying to ACs but the IT crowd has already named them Friend face.

      --
      Star Trek, there maybe hope.
    12. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      Which just proves that the IT crowd is as funny as a bunch of screenwriters who know nothing about networking technology can make a show about the geeks who love and maintain it.....

      Both of the AC's names are better than "friend face" which has all of the edginess, humor, and social relevance of a bowl of oatmeal.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    13. Re:I'll believe it when I see it by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      It depended on where you were. I was in Thailand, and it was so bright there that it and the moon were all you could see in the western sky until they set. Perhaps it's because Thailand is so close to the equator?

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  5. Kohoutek by mbone · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am also old enough to remember the speculation about Kohoutek.

    It is notoriously hard to predict the brightness of "new" comets, as you know nothing about their history.

    1. Re:Kohoutek by rs79 · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'm old enough to remember suggesting to Halley "hey, try looking over there."

      --
      Need Mercedes parts ?
    2. Re:Kohoutek by Olix · · Score: 2

      That's interesting: Do you think that 'It is notoriously hard to predict the brightness of "new" comets' because of Kokoutek?

    3. Re:Kohoutek by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      No. The "it's notoriously hard to predict the brightness of new comets" meme predates Kohoutek by some few decades.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    4. Re:Kohoutek by enilnomi · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Yeah. Look," Harvey said, "can you name one newsman who lost his reputation because of Kahoutek?" He nodded at the puzzled look that got. "Right. None. No chance. The public blamed the astronomers for blowing it all out of proportion. Nobody blamed the news people."

      "Why should they? You were quoting the astronomers."

      "Half the time," Harvey agreed. "But we quoted the ones who said exciting things. Two interviews. One man says Kahoutek is going to be the Big Christmas Comet. Another says, well, it's going to be a comet, but you might not see it without field glasses. Guess which tape gets shown on the six o'clock news?"

      --Lucifer's Hammer; Niven & Pournelle, 1977

      --
      education is no substitute for intelligence
    5. Re:Kohoutek by minvaren · · Score: 1

      Mod parent up, Hot Fudge Sundae (that falls on a Tuesdae).

      --
      Big! Strong! Wow! Tada-O!
  6. Obligatory 'End of the World' thread here by Mister+Liberty · · Score: 4, Funny

    For starters, 2013 minus 2000 equals 13.

    1. Re:Obligatory 'End of the World' thread here by lxs · · Score: 2

      It's Hale-Bopp all over again.
      (Mental note: Buy a pair of purple Nikes for everyone in the commune.)

  7. Wonder when by kiriath · · Score: 5, Insightful

    All the nutcases will be busting out the Kool-aid

    1. Re:Wonder when by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Let's hope so.

      --
      No sig today...
  8. Comet? Nope, Comet Empire by Nyder · · Score: 1

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Blazers

    But seriously, this is going to be cool.

    --
    Be seeing you...
  9. Religious implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Pardon my ignorance, but given the dates this could have passed around 10 AD. Is there any conjecture towards this being the star of Bethlehem?

    1. Re:Religious implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Never mind.
      "Because the orbits of the two comets are similar doesn’t necessarily mean that the 1680 comet is the same as C/2012 S1 (ISON). It’s more likely a fragment of that comet. The orbital period of the 1680 comet is somewhere around 9,000-10,000 years, so the last time it was near Earth was long before the birth of Christ."

    2. Re:Religious implications by maxwell+demon · · Score: 4, Informative

      10 AD is outside the range of dates in which the birth of Jesus could have happened. At that time, Herod was already dead for over a decade.

      If you are interested in a good overview on the theories about the star of Bethlehem, I've found this page quite informative.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    3. Re:Religious implications by Tenebrousedge · · Score: 1

      It's much easier to believe that the mythology was cribbed from other sources or made up out of whole cloth.

      That goes for the rest of the miraculous happenings too. It's almost as if someone wanted to hijack the moral teachings and substitute idol-worship. Even today the latter seems far more popular than the former.

      --
      Those who advocate genocide deserve every protection afforded by law, and none afforded by common human decency.
    4. Re:Religious implications by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      At the time the texts in question had been written, the past they are speaking about wasn't yet too far away, so they had to get the historical facts right, or instead of convincing people, they would have been laughed away like "Oh, what? Tiberius started a census, but Herod tried to kill your Jesus afterwards? Herod was long dead when Tiberius got co-emperor! Why should I believe the rest of your story if you start with such a nonsense?" The best way to make sure you get no errors which someone might spot is to set a fixed date for all the invented events (but be sure to never mention it, or else any little error you made anyway might be found out and used to discredit your story). So even if the birth of Jesus was just made up, most likely there was a certain birth date in the mind. And if there were notable events on the sky which could well be interpreted in a convenient way, and which happened in a convenient period, the evangelists could well have used those to add more credibility to their story (remember, back then astrology was more or less universally accepted). And if they did so, it makes sense to ask about which event they might have had in mind.

      So no matter whether or not you believe Jesus did exist, it does make sense to ask which celestial events might have been interpreted as the star of Bethlehem.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  10. It will be late, won't it ? by AncalagonTotof · · Score: 1

    I think we must adapt our calendars to make it arrive on 2012/12/21, don't you think ?

    --
    Totof
  11. In 1680 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    there was no light pollution. You could actually see the Milky Way and even dim comets would stand out in the night sky.

    Now you can barely spot the full moon anywhere outside North Korea.

    1. Re:In 1680 by History's+Coming+To · · Score: 2

      Or, you know, the 99.9% of the world that's nowhere near major cities. Greetings from the Scottish Highlands, the night sky is really quite stunning here.

      --
      Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
    2. Re:In 1680 by Gavagai80 · · Score: 2

      I can see the milky way (if not very clearly), living in a town of 15K only 30 miles from a big city. You really don't have to be in the middle of nowhere for a decent sky, just get out of the big city.

      --
      This space intentionally left blank
    3. Re:In 1680 by AlecC · · Score: 2

      I saw Comet Hale Bopp quite clearly from beside a pool in a Las Vegas hotel, surely one of the most light polluted places in the world. I saw it much more clearly from my home in the English countryside, but a good comet can get through a lot of pollution.

      --
      Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
    4. Re:In 1680 by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      Now you can barely spot the full moon anywhere outside North Korea.

      I can spot the full moon quite fine. Indeed, even when the moon is almost gone, I can see it quite well. And I'm living in a place with no lack of light pollution. I guess you know the sky only as seen from inside a big city, where there's not only lots of light pollution, but also enough of regular pollution which both dims the light from the sky and increases the effect of the light pollution by scattering back much more light than relatively clean air would.

      However you're right that light pollution makes it more or less impossible to spot dim comets.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    5. Re:In 1680 by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      You really don't have to be in the middle of nowhere for a decent sky, just get out of the big city.

      My rule of thumb : if you've got a 3G mobile phone signal, you're too close to either a city or a major road.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  12. Re:yes, in late 2013/ early 2014 by philip.paradis · · Score: 1

    Why do I get the impression you're almost experiencing this?

    --
    Write failed: Broken pipe
  13. Re:Apocalypse by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2

    Something about the Mayans and December 21st, etc.

    -AI

    You mean, the Mayans miscalculated by one year?

    FTFS: But the ball of ice and rocks might become visible to the naked eye for a few months in late 2013 and early 2014

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  14. It signals ... by drrilll · · Score: 2

    the coming of dragons

  15. Quick! by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    just discovered streaking near Saturn.

    Somebody hand it an overcoat...

    1. Re:Quick! by davmoo · · Score: 1

      Look at the positive side...at least it isn't hanging around Uranus.

      --
      I want a new quote. One that won't spill. One that don't cost too much. Or come in a pill.
    2. Re:Quick! by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Unlike some, I've never been one for having my hair pulled...

  16. Re:Apocalypse by jesseck · · Score: 2

    You mean, the Mayans miscalculated by one year?

    FTFS: But the ball of ice and rocks might become visible to the naked eye for a few months in late 2013 and early 2014

    That is the reason the article uses the word "might"... they are expecting the world to end this December, but in the unlikely chance the revered and more-advanced-than-us Mayans were wrong, we could see the comet.

  17. How can I see this? by jehan60188 · · Score: 1

    Is there a site that lists viewing times/directions based on my location?
    Should I look near saturn?

    1. Re:How can I see this? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

      Try looking up.

      At night.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:How can I see this? by RockDoctor · · Score: 2
      The descriptions so far are a bit vague to give precise directions. Because comets are shedding appreciable mass, which can have a rocket effect on the trajectory, and they're typically tumbling irregularly, and they're warming up (irregularly, under the influence of both previous effects) then this early in an apparition, it's not really worthwhile making close predictions of the comet's path through the solar system, and thus of it's track across the night sky.

      The current magnitude (18.8) is several million times too dim for naked-eye observation. The comet is predicted to become binocular-visible in August 2013, and maybe naked-eye visible from late September or early October for a month or two. I would take an industrial-scale pinch of salt with those figures.

      Not possessing a telescope, I'd look at getting an updated ephemeris (listing of it's path on the plane of the sky) in July next year.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    3. Re:How can I see this? by supercrisp · · Score: 1

      Ah, got to love the snark. You think you're smart, but you're actually being obtuse. Happens to me ALL the time. I think jehanBUNCHOFNUMBERS wants to see the comet NOW, so s/he needs some orbital data or an ephemeris. Luckily amateur astronomers have access to The Google, and he'll find the comet despite your and my snarking.

    4. Re:How can I see this? by KenSeymour · · Score: 2

      Check this site every few months until late 2013. They are great for new and charts.

      --
      "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." -- Albert Einstein
  18. Cimrman, by lahvak · · Score: 1

    is that you? I would expect you having considerably lower id!

    --
    AccountKiller
  19. Re:Comet? Nope, Comet Empire by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

    Yes, it'll be pretty cool. Not far above absolute zero, in fact.

    --
    Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  20. Re:payday loans england by popo · · Score: 1

    I think you're in the wrong neighborhood, son.

    Spamming Slashdot is a good way to get your site DOS'ed.

    --
    ------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
  21. Know why there's no Jonestown jokes? by bd580slashdot · · Score: 1

    The punch lines are too long!

    1. Re:Know why there's no Jonestown jokes? by kiriath · · Score: 1

      Ba dun tss!

  22. Re:Apocalypse by drkim · · Score: 1

    ...You mean, the Mayans miscalculated by one year?

    I doubt it. The Mayans are experts at predicting and avoiding disaster and extinction.

    Just ask one.

  23. Would make a nice Astronomy Picture of the Day by toudaimori · · Score: 1
    http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/A-Dream-Comet-Heading-Our-Way-171521041.html

    An added bonus is that the comet passes very close to Mars in early October 2013 and could potentially be observed by the sensitive Mast Cameras on the rover Curiosity.

  24. Re:payday loans england by zippthorne · · Score: 1

    What's weird is that payday loans themselves are scams....

    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  25. Re:Surpassing moon brightness? by zippthorne · · Score: 1

    Always assume that if they say it outshines the moon, they're talking about a new moon. Also, when astronomers talk to newspeople about comets in relation to the moon, they are usually talking about the visible extent, rather than the brightness itself. It could be very dim and transparent, but if it subtends a greater solid angle than the moon - it rivals the moon in the night sky.

    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  26. It's not a comet. by NikeHerc · · Score: 1

    It's Melancholia (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1527186/)!

    --
    Circle the wagons and fire inward. Entropy increases without bounds.