People encouraged to look on Comet ISON

BANGKOK, November 21 (TNA) - The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) persuades the public to look up at Comet ISON, which will be the brightest comet in years from late November to early December 2013. NARIT and the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology jointly announced on Thursday that the appearance of Comet ISON is a rare phenomenon people worldwide can witness. According to the joint announcement, the icy rock, with its diameter of 1-2 kilometers, will pass by the Sun at the closest range of 1.2 million kilometers either on November 28 or in the morning of November 29 (Thailand's time). At that time, the announcement said, people in Thailand cannot see the comet due to sunlight, but they can see it before the sungrazing moment from November 15-25 and after the moment from December 3-15, at about 4:30am in the East at the Virgo constellation. NARIT Director Boonrucksar Soonthornthum revealed that people nationwide could see Comet ISON and its long tail passing across the sky and might also spot three other comets at the same time, namely Lovejoy, LINEAR and Encke. Comet ISON is expected to be the brightest comet in years and it will enter the Solar System once and for all. Worldwide astronomers are, thus, waiting to see whether the comet will survive when it is passing extremely close to the Sun. The NARIT chief encouraged the public, especially Thai youths, to observe the rare phenomenon at observatories nationwide. (TNA)