Comet ISON 2012 S1 Visible With Unaided Eye

Comet ISON can now be seen with the unaided eye in moderately light polluted skies.  It is difficult to see.  One needs to know exactly where to look in the skies.  The coma is moderately easy to spot.  The tail is barely visible.  My location was a short distance outside of Orlando, FL, at the corner of Travistock Lakes Blvd and Narcoossee Road. 

These photos use camera settings that approximate my personal vision.  As a 59 year old, I'm not surprised that others report better views with the unaided eye.   These photos were taken at 5:48 am November 23, 2013, Eastern Time. 

 

Comet ISON - binoculars or unaided eye?

Reports are coming in that people have seen Comet ISON with binoculars.  This morning there were reports that it was visible with the unaided eye. 

Here is my picture of Comet ISON taken with a wide angle view.  If you look reeeeeal close, you can see it - just behind the FEW clouds that lingered this morning!  The comet's position is just below the cloud line.  As the morning progressed, more clouds arrived.

Such is the life of the astronomer - we can't control the weather.

Comet ISON - Two Tailed Comet !!!

 

My observations of Comet ISON show a second tail in the photographs taken November 11, 2013.  

The presence of two tails is a sign that the comet is getting closer to the sun (ISON will be closest to the sun on November 28th, just a few days away).  

The prominent tail is called the ion tail.  It is composed of ionized gas molecules created by solar wind (charged particles that move very quickly from the sun).  This tail points almost directly away from the sun, and has nothing to do with the direction the comet is traveling.  As the comet moves away from the sun, the tail leads the way.  Right now, as the comet moves toward the sun, the body of the comet is followed by the tail.

The small tail that appears to be a line separated from the ion tail above it in the photos is the dust tail.  This is composed of small dust particles that come from the comet's nucleus which are being pushed away by light pressure from the sun.  The materials in the dust tail are heavier than those in the ion tail and therefore tend to stay where they fall.

There are always two tails, but as the comet nears the sun these diverge, and it is this divergence that enables them to be seen as separate objects. 




Actually, if you look closely, I think you can see a third tail.

Comet ISON - October 5 2013

Comet ISON on October 5, 2013, at R.A. 9h 43m 50s Dec. +16° 43' 00"

Comet ISON Viewing in November and December

Below is a chart for viewing Comet ISON during November and December, 2013.  My estimates of the magnitude, or brightness, of the comet is more conservative than other sources - here's hoping I'm the pessimist who is proven wrong by others.

DATE	Estimated MAGNITUDE	ISON rises	DEGREES from Sun	Moon	Notes
November 1, Friday	7-9	4 hours, 9 minutes before Sun	85 WNW	2 days before New Moon 3% illumination in  morning sky	Comet is 1.6 degrees west of Sigma Leonis, a 4 magnitude star
November 2, Saturday	7-9	4 hours 7 minutes	51 WNW	1 day before New Moon, 2 % illumination in morning sky	Comet is less than 1 degree from Sigma Leonis.
November 3 Sunday	7-9	4 hours 4 minutes	51 WNW	New Moon	- if anyone has an extra ticket to Africa, let me know.  The annular-total eclipse will be visible there.  So how cool will this be to see the comet during the eclipse?
November 4 Monday	7-9	4 hours 1 minute	50 WNW	1 day past New Moon, 1 percent illumination
November 5 Tuesday	7-8	3 hours 58 minutes	50 WNW	2 days past New Moon
November 6 Wednesday	6-8	3 hours 53 minutes	49 WNW	3 days past New Moon
November 7 Thursday	6-8	3 hours 49 minutes	48 WNW	3 days before First Quarter, moon is in evening sky and is not relevant	Comet is 2 degrees SE of Beta Virginis (also called Zavijava), a 3.6 magnitude star.
November 8 Friday	6-8	3 hours 44 minutes	47 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 9 Saturday	6-8	3 hours 39 minutes	46 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant	Deep sky photo op – close encounters with galaxies NGC 4044 and NGC 4030
November 10 Sunday	6-8	3 hours 33 minutes	45 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 11 Monday	6-8	3 hours 27 minutes	43 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 12 Tuesday	6-7	3 hours 20 minutes	42 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 13 Wednesday	6-7	3 hours 13 minutes	41 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant	Less than 1.5 degrees from galaxy NGC 4546 and less than 1 degree with NGC 4593
November 14 Thursday	6-7	3 hours 5 minutes	39 WNW	moon is in evening sky and is not relevant
November 15 Friday	6	2 hours 56 minutes	37 WNW	2 days before Full Moon, 95% illumination, visible in morning sky	Moon is the enemy of viewing comet tonight!
November 16 Saturday	6	2 hours 47 minutes	35 WNW	1 day before Full Moon, 99% illumination, morning sky
November 17 Sunday	5-6	2 hours 37 minutes	33 WEST	100 % illumination with the Full Moon visible throughout the evening sky	SHOULD BE EASY TO FIND at about 5am, EST.  About 2 degrees WNW of Spica, a first magnitude star, also known as Alpha Virginis.
November 18 Monday	5-6	2 hours 26 minutes	31 WEST	1 day past Full Moon, 99% illumination in morning sky
November 19 Tuesday	5-6	2 hours 15 minutes	29 WEST	2 days past Full Moon, 97% illumination in morning sky
November 20 Wednesday	4-6	2 hours 3 minutes	27 WEST	3 days past Full Moon, 93% illumination in morning sky
November 21 Thursday	4-6	1 hour 50 minutes	24 WEST	4 days past Full Moon, 87% illumination in morning sky	This is a good day to go to the beach and look over the Atlantic.  Comet ISON and Comet 2P/Encke will be about 5 degrees apart (that is about the diameter of three fingers held at arm’s length)
November 22 Friday	4-5	1 hour 37 minutes	22 WEST	3 days before Last Quarter, 80% illumination in morning sky
November 23 Saturday	3-5	1 hour 23 minutes	19 WEST	2 days before Last Quarter, 72% illumination in morning sky	Another day to head for the beach and look across the Atlantic in the predawn hour.  A pair of binoculars with a 7 degree field of view will show Comet ISON, Comet 2p/Encke, Alpha Librae, and the planets Mercury and Saturn.
November 24 Sunday	3-5	1 hour 9 minutes	16 WEST	1 day before Last Quarter, 63% illumination  in morning sky	You will see Comet ISON in the morning twilight.  Only the coma will be visible, the tail being lost in the sunlight.  The coma will form a triangle with Mercury and Saturn.
November 25 Monday	2-3	54 minutes	13 WEST	Last Quarter 54% illumination in morning sky	At this point, and for a few days, one would be very lucky to see ISON.
November 26 Tuesday	1-2	39 minutes	10 WEST	1 day past Last Quarter, 44% illumination in morning sky
November 27 Wednesday	1-2	22 minutes	7 WEST	2 days past Last Quarter, 34% illumination in morning sky	Comet ISON is NOT visible at all this morning.
November 28 Thursday	-8 TO 1	2 minutes before the sun!	3 degrees WEST !!!	3 days past Last Quarter, 25% illumination in morning sky	At 2:40 pm EST, the Comet ISON reaches perihelion.  This means it is at its closest to the sun.  Some believe there is a chance that the comet will be visible.  Slim chance.
November 29 Friday	-2 to 1	10 minutes before the sun	3 degrees NORTH	3 days before New Moon, 16% illumination in morning sky	Comet is not visible.
November 30 Saturday	0-1	26 minutes before the sun	6 NORTH	2 days before New Moon, 9% illumination morning sky
December 1 Sunday	1-2	41 minutes	9 NNW	New Moon
December 2 Monday	2-3	51 minutes	11 NNW	1 day past New Moon
December 3 Tuesday	3-4	1 hour 3 minutes	14 NNW	2 days past New Moon	The comet will rise an hour before sunrise, and this may be the best viewing since perihelion.
December 4 Wednesday	3-4	1 hour 14 minutes	16 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 5 Thursday	3-4	1 hour 25 minutes	18 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 6 Friday	3-4	1 hour 36 minutes	21 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 7 Saturday	3-4	1 hour 46 minutes	23 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 8 Sunday	3-5	1 hour 57 minutes	25 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 9 Monday	4-5	2 hours 8 minutes	28 NNW	Moon is in evening sky	The comet is now rising 2 hours before sunrise, and should be easier to spot.
December 10 Tuesday	4-5	2 hours 19 minutes	30 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 11 Wednesday	4-5	2 hours 30 minutes	33 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 12 Thursday	4-5	2 hours 41 minutes	35 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 13 Friday	4-5	2 hours 52 minutes	38 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 14 Saturday	4-5	3 hours 7 minutes	40 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 15 Sunday	4.5 to 5	3 hours 19 minutes	43 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 16 Monday	5	3 hours 32 minutes	46 NNW	Moon is in evening sky
December 17 Tuesday	5	3 hours 42 minutes	49 NNW	Full Moon, 100% illumination all night	The moon will interfere from now until Christmas.
December 18 Wednesday	5-6	3 hours 56 minutes	52 NNW	1 day past Full Moon, 99% illumination in morning sky
December 19 Thursday	5-6	4 hours 11 minutes	55 NNW	2 days past Full Moon, 96% illumination morning sky
December 20  Friday	5-6	4 hours 27 minutes	58 NNW	3 days past Full Moon, 92% illumination, morning sky
December 21 Saturday	5-6	4 hours 45 minutes	61 NNW	4 days past Full Moon, 86% illumination, morning sky
December 22  Sunday	5-6	5 hours 4 minutes	65 NNW	3 days before Last Quarter, 79% illumination, morning sky
December 23  Monday	5-6	5 hours 27 minutes	68 NNW	2 days before Last Quarter 71% illumination in morning sky
December 24  Tuesday	5-7	5 hours 54 minutes	72 NNW	1 day before Last Quarter, 62% illumination in morning sky
December 25 Wednesday	5-7	6 hours 28 minutes	75 NNW	Last Quarter, 53% illumination in morning sky
December 26  Thursday	5-7	7 hours 19 minutes	78 NNW	1 day past Last Quarter, 42% illumination in morning sky
December 27 Friday	5-7	always in nighttime sky	82 NNW	2 days past Last Quarter, 31% illumination in morning sky
December 28 Saturday	5-7	always in nighttime sky	85 NNW	3 days past Last Quarter, 22% illumination in morning sky
December 29 Sunday	5-7	always in nighttime sky	88 NNW	3 days before New Moon, 13% illumination in morning sky
December 30 Monday	6-7	always in nighttime sky	91 NNW	2 days before New Moon
December 31 Tuesday	6-7	always in nighttime sky	94 NNW	New Moon	The comet will be 19 degrees from the North Star.