1680 was a very interesting year for star gazers.A comet so large, so brilliant and so visible blazed across the sky, inspiring astrologers, soothsayers ande even Issac Newton !C/1680 V1, also called the Great Comet of 1680, Kirch’s Comet, and Newton’s Comet, has the distinction of being the first comet discovered by telescope. Discovered by Gottfried Kirch on 14 November 1680, New Style, it became one of the brightest comets of the 17th century – reputedly visible even in daytime – and was noted for its spectacularly long tail.
In America, it caused a sensation.This is what the first Dutch settlers of Esopus, New York, saw in the sky over 300 years ago!
Excerpt from The History of Kingston, by Marius Schoonmaker, 1888, at page 70
On the 9th of December 1680, there appeared an extraordinary comet, which caused very great consternation throughout the province, with forebodings of dreadful happenings and divine punishments. It is described, in a letter dated January 1st, 1681, as having “appeared in the Southwest on the ninth of December last, about two o’clock in the afternoon, fair sunshine weather, a little above the sun, which takes its course more northerly,and was seen the Sunday night, right after about twilight, with a very fiery tail or streamer in the west, to the great astonishment of all spectators, and is now seen every night with clear weather. Undoubtedly, God threatens us with dreadful punishments if we do not repent.” The letter then suggested the propriety of proclaiming a day of humiliation and prayer.
Now we enter the spring of 2013.The sky is bringing use surprises every month. Asteroids,. meteors, fireballs,locusts drones,…..Ray Bradbury must be turning in his grave !
It seems to me that this same “Great” Comet of 1680 will be coming our way once again.Soon.. Real soon. As in before November 28th 2013.I suggest this comet will encounter the sun, survive for a day, and then break up.
This time, the comet has been renamed ISON. Of course the “authorities” are busy “spinning” the usual drivel, assuring the public they know everything about the comet, and always have. But the facts speak otherwise. The comet was only rediscovered in September of 2012. Just like nobody saw the Valentines meteorite that struck Russia so violently last month,it is becoming increasingly evident that the finest scientists on the planet can only predict a fraction of future events, and have varying views of past astrophysical events.
So, in the coming month’s I will post on Comet ISON. I do not believe the comet will be 15 times brighter than the moon, as Brian Williams reports. Nor do I think it will die as it approaches the sun. I think it survives, but just for a mere 24 hours after the encounter.
The bet is on…..