New comet "suddenly" appears...

[nerdgineer]

[from Slashdot] A new comet has suddenly gotten a million times brighter and become naked eye visible. It should grow into an extended object in the next few days and be good for viewing. This URL shows where to look.

http://media.skyandtelescope.com/ima...s+Finder_l.jpg

[BrighTor]

That's neat info! Thank you for sharing. I went ahead and sent the links to our district science mailing list.

[Scottiver]

Thanks for the heads up. I love comets. I'll check it out tonight during my nightly dog/flashlight walk.

[VidPro]

ITS THE END OF THE WORLD



wrong forum

[nerdgineer]

Our local skies are full of smoke from the fires and a very bright full moon. Can't see anything.....

[BIGIRON]

But ain't that moon something? Don't remember the exacts, but it's actually closer to Earth than normal.

[jayflash]

Thanks, nerd. Now that I'm aware of the comet it's sure to be cloudy where I live...and it is.

[Burgess]

Thank you, Nerdgineer, for the heads-up !




This is the first i've heard about it !



Too bad it hadda' happen so close to "full-moon" time.


_

[LED_Thrift]

ITS THE END OF THE WORLD



wrong forum

LOL



Hey, that's no comet - it's just those Boston guys playing with their Tank Light!

[DM51]

They let Nitro out of hospital after his gallbladder operation, and just look what happens - he points his MaxaBeam at a new comet and starts a worldwide panic.

[Burgess]

Saw it last night. Quite impressive !

Even near the almost-full moon.


STILL haven't seen or heard ANY other mention of the comet in my media.


If it wasn't for Nerdgineer, i'd still be "in the dark" about comet Holmes.


Thank you !





BTW, it might look like a comet, but it could actually be an invading Alien spacecraft.

Trying to sneak up, and catch us off-guard.


Those clever Rigelians . . . .



_

[Scottiver]

I just checked it out using my Orion 4" Maksukov telescope. Pretty cool looking. Instead of looking like a comet with a tail, it's just a big fuzzy disk with a bright starlike nucleus. I could also see it fine in binoculars and even pretty good with the naked eye. Check it out.

[LEDAdd1ct]

A couple nights ago, I went looking for it, but I couldn't find it. I didn't realize it was so low in the sky! There are mostly trees where I live to the NE. Maybe tonight I'll go out after supper and climb a nice hill/mini-mountain (or drive if I am pooped from work) and check it out.

I hope I find it!

(oops! Did I hear an excuse to take out my new Guider...?)

[LED_Thrift]

Thanks Nerdgineer for alerting everyone to this. I've seen it four out of the last five nights. My ten power binocs give a great view of it. I looked at it in my 3.5" refractor telescope, but it didn't look much better than in the binocs. The weather has been so nice the last few nights, it's fun to be out there. After I'm done stargazing and don't need my night adapted vision, out come the lights!

[Scottiver]

[quote=LEDAdd1ct;2209795]A couple nights ago, I went looking for it, but I couldn't find it. I didn't realize it was so low in the sky!

It's not low in the sky at all (unless you look really early in the evening)
by 10:00PM it is almost straight up in the northeast sky.

[LEDninja]

ITS THE END OF THE WORLD

Are we ready to launch DEEP IMPACT?

[LEDAdd1ct]

"It's not low in the sky at all (unless you look really early in the evening)
by 10:00PM it is almost straight up in the northeast sky."

Yes, that's true that it should rise from the NE higher up into the sky. However, when my brother first told me about this, the moon was brighter (larger) then it is now, and rose later, making the optimal viewing time early in the evening, within the first several hours after sunset. Last night it was cloudy in southern NY, and I couldn't find it.

"Are we ready to launch DEEP IMPACT?"

That's funny! Yesterday in school, I couldn't help but tell several of the students about the comet; perhaps it would provide some safe entertainment on a Friday night. One kid, who seemed to be napping on the radiator (he had finished all his work) looked up like a startled rabbit, and asked, "Is it going to crash into Earth?" I reassured him that comets are nothing more than icey dust balls, the same sort that were probably all over the floor beneath the radiator. :-P

[G1K]

Anyone ever read Lucifer's Hammer?


R

[nerdgineer]

...I reassured him that comets are nothing more than icey dust balls...

To follow G1K's comment, an ice ball 20 miles across hitting us at 30 miles a second is not a minor matter...

[LED_Thrift]

Saturday night I had the best view of it yet. It was really dark [the moon is away from it now and much less full], and clear sky. I suprised I don't detect it changing its position relative to the stars from night to night.

[Manzerick]

My bad.. I was walking in the woods with my 7xSSC Floody McGee...


Must throw much better than anticipated



I always get amazed when there things come up.



What if.... the next one is coming right at us?!?!?!??!?! AHHHHHHHHGGG!!!!

[stephenmadpotato]

Curious, what would we do if a comet came rocketing at us? the government would probably just peace out to mars and let us all die lol. I wonder though, what would our defences be? Perhaps laser?

[Burgess]

Hopefully, Bruce Willis would be available.




_

[Spin]

I don't care or worry about a comet or asteroid hitting the earth. Life as i am presently aware of is temporary! If i cease to exist now or later it doesn't really matter.

[stephenmadpotato]

I don't care or worry about a comet or asteroid hitting the earth. Life as i am presently aware of is temporary! If i cease to exist now or later it doesn't really matter.

I highly doubt if a comet was rocketing at the earth, you wouldn't do anything

[LED_Thrift]

The comet is getting dimmer now. I was looking at last night [boy was it cold] and the fuzzy ball part of it seemed bigger than in the past, but the whole thing was not as bright as it had been. I have been surprised by its apparent lack of motion relative to the stars.