Peak for the upcoming Comet ISON
A freshly discovered comet has contributed a slam on today's news. C/2012 S1 or commonly known as Comet ISON was the name given for the comet, in lined with the organization who made the discovery. The International Scientific Optical Network (ISON) in Russia has the credit for the detection of this heavenly body. The said comet has a potential to put a spectacular display on the sky.
Russians Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok are the ones who revealed the new found low-mass member of the solar system by photographs taken on September 21, 2012 using a 15.7 inches (0.4 meter) reflecting telescope of the ISON. Similar to other comets, they move in a highly elliptical orbit and undergoing great changes and appearance as it approaches and recedes from the Sun. According to study, it can be visible by August 2013 only through the aid of telescopes and binoculars. It becomes observable to the naked eye by late October or early November until mid January 2014. When the time the comet reaches its perihelion on late November, it may become very bright if it remains intact. In fact, their prediction says that it can turn to be as luminous as the full Moon.
Meanwhile, an amateur astronomer Mike Mattei had noticed that our planet would be passing the orbit of Comet ISON which can create a possibility for meteor shower around January 2014. Dust particles from comets produce the bright streaks known as meteors when they burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
Comet ISON would go through different constellations and planets like Mars and Saturn. The final comet that was seen on Earth was Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Another is the brief appearance of Comet 17P/Holmes in 2007. Comet ISON would surely mark in the 2013. The peak of Comet ISON would be a great phenomenon to be witnessed in the field of Astronomy. It is truly a blessing that we can remark such dazzling experience.
By: Xyrene Freda B. Angeles
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