A New Light In Our Sky?, page 6
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reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 06:14 AM by quber
reply to post by Xeros


How is knowing it's orbit solving the 'mystery' of how it's magnitude changed so dramatically and how it's size has so drastically changed?

For those people who aren't sure whether they can see it or not, if you have the latest version of google Earth installed (4.2) it has a sky map button that will switch from ground view to sky view so just find your location on the ground and switch to sky view and all the stars, planets, galaxies etc. are searchable from your position.

[edit on 31-10-2007 by quber]


reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 06:56 AM by Xeros
Originally posted by quber
reply to post by Xeros


How is knowing it's orbit solving the 'mystery' of how it's magnitude changed so dramatically and how it's size has so drastically changed?


Its tail is more and more facing away from us, as it beomes perpendicular to the sun, in relation to the earths orbit. This creates the illusion that it's getting larger.


amazing-space.stsci.edu...
Comets are small, fragile, irregularly shaped bodies composed mostly of a mixture of water ice, dust, and carbon- and silicon-based compounds. They have highly elliptical orbits that repeatedly bring them very close to the Sun and then swing them into space. Comets have three distinct parts: a nucleus, a coma, and a tail. The solid core is called the nucleus, which develops a coma with one or more tails when a comet sweeps close to the Sun. The coma is the dusty, fuzzy cloud around the nucleus of a comet, and the tail extends from the comet and points away from the Sun. The coma and tails of a comet are transient features, present only when the comet is near the Sun


*Bold added by me*

Hope that helps.

Basically, as we move (in our own orbit) between the comet and the sun, the comets tail seems to disappear, when all it's doing, is ejecting in the opposite direction to the sun, due to the radiant heat. This makes it appear to get brighter, as the light is also refracted.

[edit on 31-10-2007 by Xeros]


reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 07:53 AM by zeeon
reply to post by stingray


I completely agree. I was looking for it tonight and I seriously could not spot it. I couldn't find it star hopping, or by naked eye.
I live in san diego, ca (more over, lemon grove area) and It was extremeley difficult for me to spot.

anyone else having difficulties last night?


reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 08:12 AM by Xeros
Originally posted by yahn goodey
reply to post by anhinga


wow---- the size of that thing ! and jupiter ?: isnt that the biggest planet in our solar system ?----certaintly do not want to see us make "contact" just yet --thankyou !


Jupiter is 4-5 times further away at present. This comets diameter is 3.42 kms. The radiant light is from its tail/ejecta.

[edit on 31-10-2007 by Xeros]



reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 08:37 AM by Xeros
reply to post by SugarCube


Exactly. I did try to explain this in my earlier posts.




reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 10:01 AM by grover
reply to post by Vikturtle


all these theories are patently absurd since this specific comet has a history of doing the exact same thing... the last time it did it (brightened dramatically) was in the 80's.

In fact it was such an eruption in brightness in 1882 that led to its discovery in the first place.

www.skyandtelescope.com...

I swear there are some really over active imaginations out there.



[edit on 31-10-2007 by grover]


reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 10:05 AM by quber
Originally posted by Xeros
Originally posted by quber
reply to post by Xeros


How is knowing it's orbit solving the 'mystery' of how it's magnitude changed so dramatically and how it's size has so drastically changed?


Its tail is more and more facing away from us, as it beomes perpendicular to the sun, in relation to the earths orbit. This creates the illusion that it's getting larger.




The tail facing away from us won't create an illusion that it is getting larger as it 'Suddenly' got larger and brighter not steadily got larger and brighter as it would have done if it was the tail gently moving to point away from us. It also won't explain why its brightness suddenly increased a million fold.

As for it being a 'mystery' Professor Alan Fitzsimmons says it is a once in a lifetime event bbc.com


reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 10:08 AM by Hal9000
reply to post by grover

Actually the last time it brightened was 1892, when it was discovered by Holmes and no one knows how bright it actually got back then. If it didn't brighten it is so small it may have never been discovered.

I agree these theories are absurd and the comet is no threat, but it still a big deal because I don't think any other comet has brightened by a million times. I still think it was hit by an asteroid, but who knows.

I've heard they are going to task Hubble to take some photos. Then maybe we will know what happened.


reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 01:08 PM by Hal9000
reply to post by Wired

Well obviously you missed my post here and this post here.

Maybe the reason you haven't read about anyone actually seeing the object is because your not actually reading the posts?



[edit on 10/31/2007 by Hal9000]



reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 06:23 PM by Vikturtle
reply to post by Wired


Yes. I have seen it everynight since it cleared up here on Saturday. It is viewable with only the naked eye, but looks like any other star, but with binoculars the difference becomes clear.


reply posted on 31-10-2007 @ 11:41 PM by defcon5
reply to post by dgtempe


Well DG since the photo at the start of that page looks an awful lot like someone accidentally got their finger on the lens, I would have to doubt the credibility of that site.


As to the comet itself, good topic, neat event, and some really good posts in this thread so far.


reply posted on 1-11-2007 @ 02:43 AM by Essan
reply to post by Wired


This is a photo I took of it a few nights back (view is looking NE, early evening - you can just make out the Pleiades rising on the horizon to the right of the building)



There are much better pictures on my website in this thread
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