For some reason the first thought that came to mind was all the stories I have read over the years about a light appearing in the sky and then something big happening. Just what will happen, I have no idea. But I do think this will somehow play a big roll in the next 3 - 6 months. Just my personal opinion though.

Originally posted by thebox
I'm not sure I understand what is going on here...

This comet has been around for over 100 years? Where is it headed?

It's probably been around for millions (if not billions) of years. Its orbital period is slightly less than 7 years, so over the past 115 years since it was discovered, it has left and come back about 17 times.

Right now it is somewhere past Mars, and is heading AWAY from the Sun, and has been since May (it's closest approach to the Sun was in May.)

It is only visible now because of the recent brightening. It is usually not visible to the naked eye, and thus not worthy of news. The last time it flared up in a similar fashion to right now was 115 years ago. That similar brightening of the comet led to its discovery.

On all of the other occasions that it came inwards towards the Sun, including the last time 7 years ago, it was so dim that it was "just another comet", therefore nobody cared about it.

Who knows? Maybe the comet flared up like this a few hundred years prior to 1892, but astromony wasn't the thorough science it was in 1892, so it may have gone unrecorded (or those records have been lost through the years.)

[edit on 10/30/2007 by Soylent Green Is People]

Do you have a source for those dates? As far as I know it was first recorded in 1892.

Well you might actually be onto something...

Have you gone back any further?

It seems, the Bible is true. What has come to pass, and what will pass, has been spoken of.

I too think it may be something heading towards Earth. It may be no coincidence that NASA seemed to rush the last shuttle mission launch. Perhaps they know that something is heading towards us and sent the shuttle up there to investigate.

Perhaps it is some other comet/body that is heading towards earth that just happens to be in the same area as Holmes and is obscuring comet Holmes because of its brightness and position. Maybe it will pass close by us or impact. Or pass between us and Sol and cause a massive CME that roasts us like a rotisserie. Or maybe it's nothing at all and exactly what the "former-perts" say it is.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

-Euclid