Active Comet ISON
Falling through
planet Earth's
predawn skies toward its close encounter
with the Sun on November 28, Comet ISON is
coming to life.
The much anticipated comet
has now been reported to have
substantially increased in activity, surging to naked-eye visibility
for dark sites and sprouting a
more
complex tail.
ISON's tail stretches over two degrees in
this
telephoto skyview from
southern
Kenya, captured on the morning of November 14.
Shown in two panels, the enlarged negative version on the right
makes details of the long tail easier to trace, including
the tail's separated
filaments toward the top of the frame.
A sungrazer and first time visitor to the inner solar system,
the possibility of ISON's survival
to become a bright comet in planet Earth's December skies
remains a question.