COBS News archive

NASA Investigating the Life of Comet ISON
December 02, 2013
After several days of fading, scientists continue to work to determine and to understand the fate of Comet ISON: Theres no doubt that the comet shrank in size considerably as it rounded the sun and theres no doubt that something made it out on the other side to shoot back into space. The question remains as to whether the bright spot seen moving away from the sun was simply debris, or whether a small nucleus of the original ball of ice was still there. Regardless, it is likely that it is now only dust.

SOHO Shows New Images of Comet ISON
November 28, 2013
As Comet ISON heads toward its closest approach to the sun -- known as perihelion -- on Nov. 28, 2013, scientists have been watching through many observatories to see if the comet has already broken up under the intense heat and gravitational forces of the sun. The comet is too far away to discern how many pieces it is in, so instead researchers carefully measure how bright it is, which can be used to infer its current state.

Comet ISON vs. the Solar Storm
November 26, 2013
In 2007, astronomers were amazed when a solar storm hit Comet Encke. NASA STEREO spacecraft watched as a CME (coronal mass ejection) struck the comet head on and ripped off its tail. The same thing could be in store for Comet ISON - only worse.

NASAs Solar Observing Fleet to Watch Comet ISONs Journey Around the Sun
November 25, 2013
It began in the Oort cloud, almost a light year away. It has traveled for over a million years. It has almost reached the star that has pulled it steadily forward for so long. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 2013, Comet ISON will finally sling shot around the sun. Here its inward journey through the solar system will end -- either because it will break up due to intense heat and gravity of the sun, or because, still intact, it speeds back away, never to return.

Anticipated STEREO observations of Comet ISON
November 23, 2013
Comet C/2012 S1 was discovered in September 2012 by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok using data from the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON). For that reason, it is also known as Comet ISON. This comet is on a close encounter with the Sun on November 28, 2013 (Thanksgiving day in the U.S.), when it will pass at a distance of only 2.7 solar radii from the center of the Sun.

MicroObservatory Catches Comet ISON
November 19, 2013
Hopes are high for Comet ISON, which has the potential to become the most spectacular comet seen in years. ISON is speeding through the inner solar system at about 120,000 miles per hour, on its way to a close approach to the Sun on November 28th. Assuming it survives its close encounter, it could become easily visible to the unaided eye in dawn skies.

New Comet: C/2013 V5 (OUKAIMEDEN)
November 18, 2013
Cbet nr. 3713, issued on 2013, November 15, announces the discovery of an apparently asteroidal object (discovery magnitude ~19.4) by Michel Ory on CCD images obtained with a 0.5-m f/3 reflector at the Oukaimeden Observatory, Marrakech. The object has been found to show cometary appearance by CCD astrometrists elsewhere. The new comet has been designated C/2013 V5 (OUKAIMEDEN).

Comet ISON Update
November 17, 2013
Reports of naked-eye sightings of Comet ISON are coming in from around the world. Experienced observers put the comets magntitude at +5.5 on Nov. 16th. This means it is now fully 10 times brighter than it was only three days ago before the outburst.

Comet ISON: Whats Next?
November 15, 2013
Comet ISON is now inside the orbit of Earth as it plunges headlong toward the sun for a fiery close encounter on Nov. 28th. Although the comet is not yet as bright as many forecasters predicted, the comet is putting on a good show for observatories around the solar system. NASA spacecraft and amateur astronomers alike are snapping crisp pictures of the comets gossamer green atmosphere and filamentary double-tail.

Comet ISON outburst
November 14, 2013
Multiple observers are reporting that Comet ISON brightened sharply last night. It started the week as an 8th magnitude object invisible to the human eye, but now it has surged to the threshold of naked-eye visibility.

This comet is brighter than ISON
November 14, 2013
Comet ISON is getting all the press, but another comet is outshining the media-favorite by nearly an order of magnitude. Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) is almost 10 times brighter than Comet ISON as it passes just outside the orbit of Earth in mid-November. Rolando Ligustri took this picture of Comet Lovejoy on November 12th using a remotely-controlled telescope in New Mexico.

Comet ISON sprouts a double tail
November 14, 2013
Amateur astronomers are getting a better look at Comet ISON as it dives toward the sun for a Nov. 28th close encounter with solar fire. As the heat rises, the comet brightens, revealing new details every day. This photo, taken Nov. 10th by Michael Jäger of Jauerling Austria, shows a beautiful double tail.

When Is a Comet Not a Comet?
November 13, 2013
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have observed a unique and baffling object in the asteroid belt that looks like a rotating lawn sprinkler or badminton shuttlecock. While this object is on an asteroid-like orbit, it looks like a comet, and is sending out tails of dust into space.

New Comet: C/2013 V3 (NEVSKI)
November 13, 2013
Cbet nr. 3695, issued on 2013, November 08, announces the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude ~15.1) by Vitali Nevski on four 180-s CCD exposures obtained on Nov. 7 with a 0.2-m f/1.5 reflector (and confirmed with images taken using a 0.4-m f/3 reflector) at the ISON-Kislovodsk observatory near Kislovodsk, Russia. The new comet has been designated C/2013 V3 (NEVSKI).

New Comet: C/2013 V2 (BORISOV)
November 11, 2013
Cbet nr. 3694, issued on 2013, November 08, announces the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude ~16.9) by G. Borisov on three CCD images taken with a 0.2-m f/1.5 astrograph on Nov. 6. The new comet has been designated C/2013 V2 (BORISOV).

The Multi-Tailed Main-Belt Comet P/2013 P5
November 10, 2013
Cbet nr. 3639, issued on 2013, August 27, announced the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude ~20.9) in CCD exposures obtained on August 15 by the Pan-STARRS1 telescope on Haleakala. The new comet has been designated P/2013 P5 (PANSTARRS).

NASAs Hubble Sees Asteroid Spout Six Comet-like Tails
November 07, 2013
Astronomers viewing our solar systems asteroid belt with NASAs Hubble Space Telescope have seen for the first time an asteroid with six comet-like tails of dust radiating from it like spokes on a wheel.

New Comet: C/2013 V1 (BOATTINI)
November 07, 2013
Cbet nr. 3689, issued on 2013, November 06, announces the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude ~15.6) by A. Boattini on CCD images obtained with the Catalina Sky Surveys 0.68-m Schmidt telescope. The new comet has been designated C/2013 V1 (BOATTINI).

New Comet: P/2013 T2 (SCHWARTZ)
October 29, 2013
Cbet nr. 3676, issued on 2013, October 22, announces the discovery of a new comet (discovery magnitude ~18.8) by M. Schwartz on CCD images obtained with the 0.41-m f/3.75 Tenagra III astrograph. The new comet has been designated P/2013 T2 (SCHWARTZ).

Outburst of comet C/2012 X1 (LINEAR)
October 22, 2013
Cbet No. 3674, issued on 2013 October 21, reports an outburst in brightness of comet C/2012 X1 (LINEAR). The magnitude of the comet was measured by H. Sato on on Oct. 20.5 to be total mag 8.5 (as measured within a circular aperture of diameter 85.2 arcsec) with a brighter center about 10 arcsec across. The predicted H_10 magnitude for C/2012 X1 (LINEAR) would be around 14 now.