2013-11-27 16:16:14
Comets have a very peculiar behavior that always challenges scientists’ predictions. As the famous astronomer David Levy once said “Comets are like cats: they have tails and always do what they want”.
A good example of such a statement is the comet discovered on September 21, 2012 by astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok. Both belong to the International Scientific Optical Network, a group of more than 30 observatories spread across 10 countries, including Spain.
Regardless of the acronym that is assigned by default to all discovered comets, in this case C/2012 S1, the new comet discovered that day was named ISON, the acronym of the network of observatories to which its discoverers belong.
We must be eager to observe a great celestial spectacle because, almost from the beginning, ISON raised expectations that have not even remotely been met, at least until now. It was said that it would be the comet of the century – something that, taking into account that the century has just begun, already seems daring – and in many media it was presented as a comet with a spectacular future. The reality is that ISON has been a common comment that, at first glance, the few fans who have enjoyed a very clear sky in the moments before dawn have barely been able to see.
After a long journey during which it has left all the planets behind, it has now reached the most dramatic moment of any comet, its closest approach to the Astro King.
It will pass so close to it, just over a million kilometers from the solar surface, that we don’t even know if it will survive the test or not.
There is always hope, with comets one never knows what can happen, that after passing through the vicinity of the Sun, they will survive and offer us a spectacle worth remembering, but experts do not have much confidence in this. There is no shortage of precedents and, as an example, in the image you can see the impressive string of pieces that camet 73P/Schwassmann/Waschmann 3 became. Let’s cross our fingers that this is the case because it is always good to remember natural events that one can recount to his grandchildren.
Although expectations are not met, what is certain is that the appearance of a comet is always an event that raises a wave of research and questions among scientists and astronomy fans. Today we have decided to take the opportunity to talk about these space visitors with a person who knows them very well: Pedro José Gutiérrez Buenestado astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, IAA, in the Department of the Solar System.
The Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia maintains a prominent position in the observation of comet ISON from the Calar Alto Observatories, the Sierra Nevada Observatory and the IRAM radio telescope in Pico Veleta.
I invite you to listen to Pedro José Gutiérrez in Talking with Scientists.
Below we offer you this video prepared by the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia.
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