The Second 2013 Comet May Outshine the Moon
A new comet has been discovered that is predicted to blaze incredibly brilliantly in the skies during late 2013. With a perihelion passage of less than two million kilometres from the Sun on 28 November 2013, current predictions are of an object that will dazzle the eye at up to magnitude —16. That's far brighter than the full Moon. If predictions hold true then C/2012 S1 will certainly be one of the greatest comets in human history, far outshining the memorable Comet Hale-Bopp of 1997 and very likely to outdo the long-awaited Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4) which is set to stun in March 2013.
A new comet, C/2012 S1, has been found by astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artom Novichonok of the International Scientific Optical Network in Russia. It will shine brightly in late November, 2013. The current brightness is a dim +18 but it will grow brighter to an enormous –16, if the expectations are met. It can’t be seen with the naked eye, but it is currently in the constellation Cancer. It may shine considerably more brightly than the moon, so it may become the brightest comet for hundreds or even thousands of years. It should be visible to the naked eye from November of 2013 until the middle of January, 2014.
Peter Grego of Astronomy Now magazine wrote about this discovery on September 25, 2012. This comet will pass within one million three hundred thousand miles of the sun on November 28, 2013. It is expected to be much brighter than the Pan-STAARS comet (C/2011 L4) which is expected in March of 2013.
http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n1209/25comet/
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