What's New
Off Topix: Embrace the Unexpected in Every Discussion

Off Topix is a well established general discussion forum that originally opened to the public way back in 2009! We provide a laid back atmosphere and our members are down to earth. We have a ton of content and fresh stuff is constantly being added. We cover all sorts of topics, so there's bound to be something inside to pique your interest. We welcome anyone and everyone to register & become a member of our awesome community.

Ison: The comet of the century

Jazzy

Wild Thing
Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Posts
79,918
OT Bucks
308,876
_71201497_71200788.jpg

This amazing photo of Ison was taken by Damian Peach with a 20cm telescope on 15 November
If we're lucky, then in just a few days time we could witness one of the most spectacular sights in the night sky for a generation or more.

Astronomers hope that on 3 December a comet will appear on the eastern horizon - Comet Ison.

For the whole month of December, millions of people across the northern hemisphere should be able to see its tail, which is several millions of kilometres long, stretching across the dawn sky.

_71211620_comet_ison_624_v2.gif


Ison has come from the Oort cloud, a belt of comets on the very edge of the Solar System, where it has been for the last 4.6 billion years.

What makes Ison so special is that it is a "sungrazer". Many comets pass through the Solar System every decade, but very few go through the corona of the Sun. Ison will do just that.

Its passage through the corona, which happens on 28 November, will be watched with great interest by astronomers across the world.

Full article

I hope I get to see this!

Will you be looking for it too?
 
Back
Top Bottom