October 28, 2013

How Bright Will Comet ISON Be? A Look Back to 1680

At the end of next month, Comet ISON is expected to be at its brightest, when it is nearest to the Sun. Still, no one knows exactly what it will look like.

bigthinkeditor

At the end of next month, Comet ISON is expected to be at its brightest, when it is nearest to the Sun. Still, no one knows exactly what it will look like. And so, to provide a hint, NASA dug up the image above, which is Comet Kirch, the Great Comet of 1680 that is pictured above a crowd of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Some people in the crowd are holding cross-staffs, a primitive angle measuring device.

This image is a painting by Lieve Versheier, and it represents the moment when Comet Kirch was also nearest to the Sun.

Illustration Credit: Lieve Verschuier

Starts With A Bang

The Universe might never run out of hydrogen

The most common element in the Universe, vital for forming new stars, is hydrogen. But there's a finite amount of it; what if we run out?

A woman, embodying the archetype of a wounded healer, is sitting on a couch engrossed in reading a book.

Neuropsych

The Chiron effect: Are “wounded healers” better healers?

Sometimes you just want to hear, "I know what it's like."

Two hands making a pinky promise with a notification icon showing one like against a blue background.

Neuropsych

“Tend and befriend”: The simple relationship hack for burnout resilience

You really can get by with a little help from your friends — if you also look beyond your personal to-do list.

Ancient bust of a bearded man, believed to depict one of history's generous leaders, with detailed facial features, set against a plain turquoise background.

Business

Aristotle plus generosity: How to soften the hard-boiled leader

Tough and cutthroat leaders are celebrated in a results-driven culture — but there is another path to C-suite success.

Starts With A Bang

The unsurprising non-detection of intelligent aliens

Life arose on Earth very early on. After a few billion years, here we are: intelligent and technologically advanced. Where's everyone else?

Up Next

Forgive Me For Being So Loud: The Poetry of Fatimah Asghar

Having been raised with traditional views of womanhood, Fatimah Asghar says "I was invisible for most of my life." That is no longer the case for the award-winning poet and performer.