Jesús Manuel Alba

COMET ISON

Comet ISON, formally known as C/2012 S1, was a sungrazing comet discovered on 21 September 2012 by

Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok. The discovery was made using the 0.4-meter (16 in) reflector of the

International Scientific Optical Network (ISON) near Kislovodsk, Russia.

DISCOVERY OF COMET ISON

At the time of its discovery, Comet ISON's apparent magnitude was approximately 18.8, far too dim to be seen

with the naked eye, but bright enough to be imaged by amateurs with large telescopes. It then followed the pattern

of most comets and increased gradually in brightness on approach to the Sun.

After it was discovered in 2012, some media sources called Comet ISON the "Comet of the Century" and speculated that it might outshine the full moon. An Astronomy Now

columnist wrote in September 2012 that "if predictions hold true then Comet ISON will certainly be one of the greatest

comets in human history."