How to Add Comet ISON to Stellarium

Stellarium is a popular open-source planetarium software that allows you to simulate the night sky on your computer. If you want to add Comet ISON to Stellarium, you can follow these steps:

1. Make sure that you have the latest version of Stellarium installed on your computer. You can download it from the official Stellarium website.

2. Download the Comet ISON orbital elements file from a reliable source. One option is the Minor Planet Center (MPC) website, which maintains a database of orbital elements for comets and other celestial objects.

3. Open Stellarium and go to the "Configuration" menu. Click on "Plugins" and make sure that the "Solar System Editor" plugin is enabled.

4. In the "Solar System Editor" window, click on the "Import Orbital Elements" button.

5. In the "Import Orbital Elements" window, click on the "Choose File" button and select the Comet ISON orbital elements file that you downloaded in step 2.

6. Enter "Comet ISON" or any other name you prefer in the "Object Name" field.

7. Click on the "Import" button to import the Comet ISON orbital elements into Stellarium.

8. Close the "Solar System Editor" window and return to the main Stellarium window.

9. To locate Comet ISON in Stellarium, you can use the search function or manually navigate to its location in the sky using the mouse or keyboard.

10. Enjoy observing Comet ISON in Stellarium!

Note: Keep in mind that Stellarium uses an idealized model of the night sky, and the position and appearance of Comet ISON in Stellarium may differ from its actual appearance in the sky.