ectacular sight in the evening sky after sunset from the UK in late November and early December next year,” Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, told the Telegraph.
“Our members will be eagerly following it as it makes its first trip around the Sun and hoping to see it shining brilliantly and displaying a magnificent tail as it releases powerful jets of gas and dust,” he added.
The debate over the brightness should not spill over into any concerns over the comet´s projected orbit. Doomsayers often get excited when new comets are discovered and start rumors of collision courses with the Earth, such as what happened with last year´s comet Elenin.
Comet C/2012 S1 will not even come remotely close to Earth. Even on its nearest approach in January 2014, it will be 36 million miles from Earth, according to comet hunters at Remanzacco Observatory in Italy.
Gray said the best bet is to just sit back, relax and enjoy the show. “I'd give it about a 30 percent chance of being exciting, with a 60 percent chance that I'm wrong. In other words, it'll certainly bear keeping an eye on, but I don't think anyone can say for sure right now.”