New Comet ISON Could Make Skywatchers' Year

Local skywatchers might get to see a spectacular comet over the coming months—the newly discovered ISON. 

A NASA astronomer says ISON's fiery tail may be visible to those watching the night sky through January 2014, but an article in TIME notes the comet may be visible throughout the year.

And the comet may come into view without the help of a telescope.

It all depends on whether the sun's heat vaporizes ices in the comet's body, scientists say in an article posted in the Huffington Post.

Comet ISON is anticipated to fly within 1.2 million miles from the sun's center on Nov. 28, 2013, astronomer Donald Yeomans, head of NASA's Near Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif, told the San Jose Mercury News.

If the comet makes it through the sun's heat the ISON could outshine the moon.

Last September two amateur astronomers from Russia discovered the comet.

The Huffington Post says Comet ISON's path resembles that of the Great Comet of 1680 comet, which is also called Kirch's Comet or Newton's Comet. And that comet's tail was reportedly visible during the daytime.

2013 is set to become a two-comet year.

Comet Pan-STARRS is expected to hurl by Earth in March.

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