Astroblog: Comet ISON, It's Not Dead Yet! (it may go for a little walk)

Friday, November 29, 2013

Comet ISON, It's Not Dead Yet! (it may go for a little walk)


Latest 12 images from the SOHO LASCO C3instrument animated. Comet ISON breaks up, but some comet-looking material comes out the other side. You can see the remnants of the old tail on the other side of the Sun.	Latest 30 low resolution beacon images from the STEREO COR2B instrument animated. As for LASCO C3 you can see a big bright blob of material coming out.

C/2012 S1 ISON continues to amaze. After fizzing out, it seems to have turned on again. Whether this is just a bunch of gravel fizzing out or a fragment of nucleus turning on again, as happened with comet Lovejoy is not clear. Because of the orientation of the comet and it's orbit in COR2B it looks like it is spinning, but this is just a line of sight effect. However, looking carefully at the image it may be that we are seeing the beginning of new tail production. Only time will tell, so we need to keep on watching.

Monty Python: "I'm not dead yet!".

Labels: C/2012 S1 ISON, Soho, Stereo Satellite

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 4:22 pm

Comments:

Ian is the comet or fragments still traveling along the predicted path or has that changed

# posted by

Anonymous : 5:57 pm

Ian, I have seen elsewhere stated your measurements for the trajectory to be within half an arc minute of predictions, does this include speed as well and if both trajectory and speed are close to projections can we make a qualified guess as to the nucleus' survival.

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:06 pm

Yes, the fragments/comet remnant are still travelling along the predicted path. I have redone the measurements and ISON's position is the same to within 6 arc seconds (which is pretty much measurement error). See http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2013/11/comet-c2012-s1-ison-stays-on-track-29.html

# posted by