PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Inward bound Comet ISON has emerged from behind the sun, Sky & Telescope magazine reported Friday, but the bad news is that while the object was touted as "the comet of the century" upon its discovery in 2012, it now looks like it might have lost its luster.
"Comet ISON is a sungrazer," Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab said in January on NASA's website. "The orbit of the comet will bring it very close to the sun, which we know can be a spectacular thing."
The comet had been lost to sight after it moved behind the sun in May. The sun's radiation causes comets to sublimate, or boil away, gas, dust and ice particles, thus producing the well-known tails. ISON had been expected to put on a spectacular show visible to the naked eye starting in late November.
Now the word is that while it may become visible, the latest observations indicate it has not brightened as much as expected.
Comets are infamously fickle in this respect.
Then again, Sky & Telescope declared, "On Nov. 28, 2013, this 'dirty snowball' will fly through the sun's atmosphere little more than a million km from the stellar surface. If the comet survives -- a big IF -- it could emerge glowing as brightly as the moon, briefly visible near the sun in broad daylight. The comet's dusty tail stretching into the night sky could create a worldwide sensation."
Sky & Telescope credited amateur astronomer Bruce Gary in Arizona as the first to sight the emerging comet, using an 11-inch telescope. Gary's measurements indicate that the comet is two orders of magnitude less than expected. The magazine said ISON could wind up visible to the naked eye, but perhaps not.
The comet is named after the International Scientific Optical Network, whose astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok discovered the faint speck in faraway space.
Whatever level of brightness the comet eventually reaches, it will be tracked by Rhode Island observatories that are open to the public:
*Seagrave Memorial Observatory in North Scituate is open every clear Saturday night.
*Ladd Observatory in Providence is open every clear Tuesday night.
*Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown's Ninigret Park is open every clear Friday night.
Be sure to check all the websites for the schedules and opening times before visiting these facilities.