21 September 2012 was far from being an ordinary day for both Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok who spotted a gigantic ball of ice heading towards the sun. Comet Ison or “ Comet Nevski- Novichonok” might as well become the comet of the century if and only if it survives the perilous “Sungrazing” mission!
The extraordinary thing about Ison is that it will be 100 times closer to the sun than the famous Hale-Bopp comet which was visible with the naked eye for a record time of 18 months! Ison will gain remarkable speed as it comes closer to the sun which will cause the gigantic comet to heat up immensely making it brighter than most comets. This could possibly mean that Ison will outshine the moon!
Hubble view of Ison:
Will Comet Ison survive the Sun?
November 28 2013 is probably one of the most important days in the life of Ison!
The Comet which has traveled more than a million years from the Oort Cloud ( a reservoir of ice bodies beyond Neptune's orbit) has now reached its “Perihelion” or closest point to the sun which will cause the comet’s surface to disintegrate and vaporize. Scientists are still not sure whether or not the core will survive the ordeal!
How to Observe the Comet?
Unfortunately Ison will not be visible to the naked eye this week, yet the best time to go Star Gazing and comet watching would be in Early December only if the long awaited Ison pulls through!