What’s This?
2013-11-27 19:31:43 UTC
If you can tear yourself away from the golden brown turkey on your Thanksgiving table and gaze skyward, you may just see a once-in-a generation sight: a comet, or what's left of it, streaking brightly across the sky. ISON, the so-called comet of the century, has been the center of much fascination for space aficionados and those who get paid to pay attention: NASA.
See also: Here’s What NYC Would Look Like on Other Planets
Seeing a comet is cool on its own. Witnessing one that may immolate or disintegrate as it blazes by the sun within 730,000 miles is a bonus that turned ISON into something special. So special, in fact, that NASA tried to launch a giant balloon, BRRISON, to monitor the possibly doomed comet. Sadly, the payload suffered a glitch shortly after launch and has been unable to collect data since September.
Those of us back on Earth still have the tantalizing opportunity to see the comet in action if it survives its dance with the sun. Even in the case it doesn’t, though, the debris left by a disintegration could produce a spectacular trail of dust that NASA said may be visible from the ground. Of course, you have to know where to look. It’s OK to admit that you have no idea what you’re looking at when you stare into the night sky, save for the moon and maybe the Big Dipper.
Most tablets are equipped with digital compasses (and/or gyroscopes) and GPS, which means they know where you are and which way you're facing, even when you don't. This technology, combined with apps, can help you find celestial objects — including the ISON comet.
On the iPad, you can download the stellar Star Walk from Vito Technology Inc. for $ 2.99 (for stargazers, it's worth every penny). You must allow it to access your location, but it then becomes a digital window to the wonders of the sky. Hold it up to the sky in day or nighttime and it shows you which direction you’re facing, the horizon and every single known object in the sky. Even if you can't see Saturn, Star Walk projects where in the sky it should be.
To find ISON, simply select the menu button in the lower-left hand corner of the screen. Then choose "Calendar" (grant Star Walk access to your calendar) and select "Comet ISON at Perihelion." Star Walk will guide you where to look to find the comet using a large green arrow. If the sky is clear and conditions are right, you could be looking directly at the comet of the century.
Android offers similar options, such as Sky Map for $ 0.99 and the free SkyEye. Both show you the stars and constellations you're looking at, but neither offers an easy way to find ISON.
Now that you know how to find ISON, get your cameras and video cameras ready. Be sure to share links to what you find and how you captured those great images in the comments below.
Image: Mashable, Christina Ascani
Topics: iPad, apps, comet ISON, NASA, tablets, U.S., US & World, World
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