Monday, November 18, 2013

Comet ISON now Visible to the Naked Human Eye:

Comet ISON is currently making its way across our solar system; it is hurtling towards the Sun at over 130,000 mph (215,000 kmh). And it just became a naked eye object (meaning that you can see it without the aid of binoculars or other instruments). So tomorrow morning, provided that you have clear skies in your area, some of you will be able to see Comet ISON low on the eastern horizon before sunrise. Of course, unless you really know what you are looking for, it might be a good idea to bring along a pair of binoculars, as the comet is still a bit hard to see with the untrained eye. The human eye can perceive objects that are as faint as +6.5 (the lower the number, the easier the object is to see). ISON just reached a magnitude of +5.4.
This chunk of ice and rock has spent more than 4 billion years in the Oort cloud (the frozen depth of space that is home to many of our solar system’s comets). After billions of years, this amazing object is finally visible. Most people in the Northern Hemisphere will be able to easily see it; however, it is extremely difficult to see from the Southern hemisphere because it is so close to the horizon.

To find out how to see it, visit:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/comet-ison-now-visible-to-the-naked-human-eye/

Image source:
http://www.caelumobservatory.com/gallery/ison_10082013.shtml

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