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Posted by Comet Section at 17:14 on 2013 Nov 13
Hello all, The BAA Comet Section has received images from Tony Angel and Caisey Harlingten using the (Searchlight Observatory Network at the Observatorio Sierra Contraviesa, Granada, Spain)showing a complex tail structures,including a possible disconnection event,(this being an interaction with the solar wind effect)in the this comet this morning. The last week of observations has seen a marked increase in the level of activity that this comet is now showing as it rapidly approaches its close perihelion passage on Nov 28. It is becoming more difficult to observe the comet in the morning sky, but observers who can seek out a flat clear eastern horizon and can image the comet are urged to do so. The reward could be that an important stage in the ongoing development of this comet is recorded. This is an unusual comet, being a dynamically new comet that has not passed through the inner solar system before and with the very close, sunskirting, perihelion passage it will be a first oportunity for us to witness this event of this type.So the months of anticipation, not to mention hype, will soon be over and we will see what ever spectacle nature provides us with.Don’t miss the event just to keep the bed warm dring the early dawn hours this next few weeks.Although the comet has seemed quiet and unspectacular during the past months,all that could change very quickly.Denis BuczynskiTony Angel’s image from this morning are available to view on the Comet Section Gallery at the following links:http://britastro.org/baa/index.php?view=detail&id=1908&option=com_joomgallery&Itemid=200http://britastro.org/baa/index.php?view=detail&id=1909&option=com_joomgallery&Itemid=200
Posted by TonyAngel at 10:22 on 2013 Nov 15
C/2013 S1 ISON Is starting to show her pettycoats, (not meant as a sexist comment). I have sent a positive and negative of one of my images to Denis. The first impression I had this morning when the firt image downloaded was that I was looking at an old woodcut or engraving of a comet and I could understand why they called them Broom Stars!This is a link to the negativehttp://www.pinterest.com/pin/232287293254489065/
Posted by Comet Section at 18:18 on 2013 Nov 15
This comet is now confirmed to have undergone an outburst, probably on Nov 14.0 Overseas observers are reporting the comet as bright as magnitude 5 this morning. A sequence of images taken by Tony Angel and Caisey Harlington over the past week show the quite dramatic changes that have taken place in the comet’s btightness and morphology. This sequence can be seen on the BAA Comet Gallery at the following link:http://britastro.org/baa/index.php?view=detail&id=1944&option=com_joomgallery&Itemid=200 It will be interesting to see if this increase in brightness and tail development continues through perihelion. There does not appear to be any observations indicating that the comet is disintegrating. Comet expert Z.Sekanina gives the following quote this morninghttp://arxiv.org/pdf/1310.1980v7.pdf"Alert: Starting at ?5h UT on November 14, comet C/2012 S1 has beenreported to be in major outburst. From early data, a preliminaryestimate for its onset is November 14.0 ± 0.2 UT, with an amplitude ofat least 2 mag. Intrinsically the comet is now almost as bright asC/1962 C1 at the same heliocentric distance. It is unclear whetherthis events nature is benign or cataclysmic".So the comet is now near perihelion and active, this is all the encouragement that will be need for observers to try and observe this comet in the difficult period around dawn especially with the moonlight interfering. I hope that many BAA members will have a go and try and observe this fascinating comet. Denis BuczynskiSecretary Comet Section
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