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'Brighter than a full moon': The biggest star of 2013... could be the comet of the century
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/brighter-than-a-full-moon-the-biggest-star-of-2013-could-be-the-comet-of-the-century-8431443.html
Something to look forward to late next year. And maybe a second one. 2013 - The year of the Great Comets.
"At the moment it is a faint object, visible only in sophisticated telescopes as a point of light moving slowly against the background stars. It doesn't seem much – a frozen chunk of rock and ice – one of many moving in the depths of space. But this one is being tracked with eager anticipation by astronomers from around the world, and in a year everyone could know its name.................."
Comet Ison
Badger52
12-27-2012, 07:47
Thanks! G/D's will be all over this.
Haven't comets always been harbingers of DOOM ????
Oh no ... the world is going to end in 2013 !!!!!! :eek:
Finally, something to look forward to in the new year.
Pat
Team Sergeant
12-27-2012, 12:04
I remember viewing Halley's comet at Ft. Bragg. Some very cool guy brought a very large telescope out to Sicily DZ and allowed people to take a look. Was the view of a lifetime.
GratefulCitizen
12-27-2012, 23:35
Haven't comets always been harbingers of DOOM ????
Oh no ... the world is going to end in 2013 !!!!!! :eek:
Disaster = "evil star"
:munchin
How to see it.
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/193909261.html
For all of those who are smarter than me, (which is most) a couple questions..
1. If it does explode when it get close to the sun, what if anything will be the affects on earth?
2. If it doesn't explode, not only will it be spectacular, but my understanding is that it will pass by earth mid December, and then a month later as the earth is coming back around we will travel right through the 16.5 million kilometres long tail. Once again, what will be the affects on earth.
I think it's cool but my wife thinks I'm a lunatic (I like to call it "the right kind of crazy"). 2 day's ago I woke up at 0420 and drove out of town, to see, if I was able to see it (with a full moon and little compact bino's it was a no go).
I hope it doesn't break up, because I would love to be able to go out and see it with my kids, I'm sure it would be something that they remember for life, but that's me, as stated some people think I'm a lunatic.:D
GratefulCitizen
11-28-2013, 20:31
Ice to ice, dust to dust.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25143861
Peregrino
11-28-2013, 23:14
Ice to ice, dust to dust.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25143861
Hmmmm. I guess it "pied"; on a cosmic scale! (Sorry, couldn't resist - watching Punkin Chunkin on Thanksgiving has become something of a tradition.) Obviously while we were destroying turkey and fixins, the sun was chewing up the comet.
For all of those who are smarter than me, (which is most) a couple questions..
1. If it does explode when it get close to the sun, what if anything will be the affects on earth?
2. If it doesn't explode, not only will it be spectacular, but my understanding is that it will pass by earth mid December, and then a month later as the earth is coming back around we will travel right through the 16.5 million kilometres long tail. Once again, what will be the affects on earth.
I think it's cool but my wife thinks I'm a lunatic (I like to call it "the right kind of crazy"). 2 day's ago I woke up at 0420 and drove out of town, to see, if I was able to see it (with a full moon and little compact bino's it was a no go).
I hope it doesn't break up, because I would love to be able to go out and see it with my kids, I'm sure it would be something that they remember for life, but that's me, as stated some people think I'm a lunatic.:D
Pretty much like a locomotive hitting a no-see-um at full speed. ;) It could possibly drag some trailing debris close enough to Earth orbit to create a new, regular, meteor shower, but not likely.
Pat
STAND BY TO STAND BY !!!!!!!!
Looks like Ison may have survived.
http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/comet-ison-may-have-survived/
:munchin