Hi Jas,
As Glen says, now's a good time to see ISON.
See my post here on the IIS fb page today (copied & pasted):
*HEADS UP !!!! Comet ISON is now in outburst.*
Reports are coming in saying it's now an easy catch in 10x50 binoculars (looking stellar). From a good dark site, it has been seen with the unaided eye using averted vision. Magnitude estimates are currently ranging from 6.5 to 6.1 & I'm now hearing 5.5. Ian Musgrave states that's a full magnitude jump in brightness just over this 24 hour period.
The image shown here, taken this morning by Tom Harradine from Brisbane, shows the sudden jump in brightness just within one week.
Southerners, hurry up and see it as we won't have long.
It has just two weeks to go for its November 28th perihelion. As it's now rapidly approaching the sun (the closer to the sun, the quicker they travel), means it's currently amongst astronomical twilight and low on the horizon, but fortunately these factors aren't hindering the views.
Check out Astroblogger, Ian Musgrave's blog to help you spot ISON.
http://bit.ly/1gNMTvM
Experienced comet observer, Jacob Cerny reports that strong outbursts are exceptionally rare with dynamically new comets and the one which is right now underway with comet ISON is very strong, being one of strongest outbursts recorded for this class of objects.
Sky & Telescope Magazine's John Bortle says, "Time will tell if this event is a result of a single massive release of new volatiles; the nucleus having fractured; or perhaps even a dramatic permanent, sustainable, uptick in the comet's overall brightness."
How close will comet ISON get to the the sun and will it survive?
Universe Today (Oct. 9th) says, "...researchers place the size of ISON’s nucleus in the range of 0.5 to 2 kilometres, comfortably above the 0.2 kilometre “shred limit” for its relative perihelion distance." And further adds: "ISON will pass inside the Roche limit of the Sun, which is a distance of 2.4 million kilometres (for fluid bodies) and will be subject to temperatures approaching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit on closest approach."
Read more:
http://www.universetoday.com/105380/...#ixzz2kgRYThLb
Image Details: 16 exposures of 30sec through a 200mm lens and Canon DSLR this morning.
Wishing you all clear skies for some happy Comet viewing and imaging.
-Suzy.
