| | 7 | Comet ISON is a 'sun-grazing' comet that will pass very close to the sun on the 28th of November. It might be a spectacular celestial event. Or it might sputter out with hardly a whimper. A sun-grazing comet can become extremely bright as the heat of the sun warms up the icy core, but it can also break up into nothing or plunge directly into the sun. ISON has brightened several times over the last few weeks, and may become visible to the naked-eye soon. Or it may be a bust. In this talk, I will discuss the long history of comet observations from Earth, what has happened to other sun-grazing comets, and how to observe Comet ISON. By December 6th, the fate of Comet ISON will be sealed! |
