[RayChuang88]

Or it could be an astronomical “bust” like Comet Kohoutek in late 1973. Here’s the problem: new observations show the comet to be very small physically in size, and its physically small size means even as the comet approaches perihelion, it will be quite faint. It wasn’t like Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997, which was one of the brightest comets ever seen from Earth (Hale-Bopp was easily visible to the naked eye at night).

[Nowhere Man]

Or it could be an astronomical “bust” like Comet Kohoutek in late 1973. Here’s the problem: new observations show the comet to be very small physically in size, and its physically small size means even as the comet approaches perihelion, it will be quite faint. It wasn’t like Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997, which was one of the brightest comets ever seen from Earth (Hale-Bopp was easily visible to the naked eye at night).

I remember Hale-Bopp too. I remember Mom and I looking at it when it became bright. Even at 125 million miles away, it was quite a sight.

[Errant]

Comet Lovejoy (pictured above and in article linked below) had a nucleus of around 0.5 km. Comet ISON’s nucleus is estimated to be around 5km, or just a bit smaller than Halley’s Comet. This is 10 times the size of Comet Lovejoy, and Lovejoy was one of the brightest comets in many years for the section of the world. It was dubbed “The Great Christmas Comet of 2011″.

Comet ISON may try to rival that of Comet Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp, both in the later 1990s. Most teens today did not see those great comets, but ISON may give them a chance to see something we adults saw then.

Comet ISON is between the orbit of Jupiter and Mars, closing in fast. ISON may become brighter than the Full Moon as it nears the Sun at the end of this year. It will remain a bright comet for months to come before and after the passage around the Sun.

Astronomers are worried the comet could break-up before coming into the inner solar system. However, Comet Lovejoy was 10 times smaller and survived the trip around the Sun. So this should be a cakewalk for Comet ISON and a treat for observers around the globe.

Comet ISON Nucleus Larger Than Thought

[vortigern]

I took pictures of Kohoutek out of my bedroom window. It was also naked-eye object and maybe didn’t live up to its hype, but it was still a wonder to behold.

[dangus]

One of the brightest comets ever seen from Earth? Hell, you had know exactly what you were looking for to find it. What a boring dud: a fuzzy dot.