questions about comet holmes

i was wondering it was interesting what i heard so far but ive wondered what the current status is with the comet. has it become brighter than it was? and what are scientist saying now? has it started to appear bigger?

I'm wondering if it is a comet at all, and not a spacecraft heading this way trailing exhaust from its drive system. It isn't behaving like a comet, it doesn't look like a comet, and I don't necessarily trust the people who are saying it is a comet.

Kind of like the reverse duck test. It isn't acting like a duck, so it probably isn't a duck. Not that I really know what I am talking about, again!

From what I've read, it seems that it either collided with another object in space or a build-up of gas in the nucleus broke the surface of the comet. Either way, I'm not sure if it's really still there or not, or if it's just been obliterated. I guess we'll find out after the dust settles (pun intended).

As far as it being an alien spacecraft, I'd say that's doubtful. This isn't a comet that was discovered recently, but one that was discovered back in 1892.

Sure, that's what they are saying now, but who here now was around in 1892?

How do we really know this is Comet Holmes? Even the astronomy community admits it was lost for a while. Where did it go? Why did it come back? I mean, we've been looking up there the whole time, and all of a sudden someone with a telescope goes, "What is that?" And some other scientist with a telescope says, "Oh, that's just Comet Holmes again, we lost it for a while, but its back, doing its thing again."

I'm just not so sure we are getting the whole story, but then I never am.

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
How do we really know this is Comet Holmes? Even the astronomy community admits it was lost for a while. Where did it go? Why did it come back? I mean, we've been looking up there the whole time, and all of a sudden someone with a telescope goes, "What is that?" And some other scientist with a telescope says, "Oh, that's just Comet Holmes again, we lost it for a while, but its back, doing its thing again."

It didn't "go" anywhere. I don't think it was ever a terribly bright comet until recently, and there were a few decades (from 1906 to 1964) where they didn't see it. However, upon computer analysis of its regular orbit, it's been seen on every one since then. Just because they didn't see it for a while doesn't mean it went anywhere.

Sometimes a comet is just a comet.

I'm wondering if it is a comet at all, and not a spacecraft heading this way trailing exhaust from its drive system. It isn't behaving like a comet, it doesn't look like a comet, and I don't necessarily trust the people who are saying it is a comet.

The comet is currently receding from the Sun, so it isn't "coming this way" at all. As for "not behaving like a comet", how exactly do you expect a comet to behave ? It is in an orbit that can be calculated using gravitational force equations (with corrections for non-gravitational forces experienced near perihelion). This is entirely NORMAL for a comet.

The sudden increase in brightness is due to either a collision with another solar orbiting object (which presumably would be detectable in subtle changes to the orbit), or else it has partially broken apart (releasing billions of highly reflective ice particles that are moving away from the comet in all directions).

Trust me. This is not an alien spacecraft.


[edit on 22-11-2007 by Mogget]

[edit on 22-11-2007 by Mogget]

It's just a comet, true enough. But it isn't just an ordinary comet. It has had a cosmic accident of some sort, so it appears to act in a way that we seldom see comets act.

Because of it's unusual "explosion" it has caught everyone's attention. This may in fact happen to a lot of comets, but we may never see it with the closeness and clarity of this one.

It may have happened in the past, and been thought to be a sign from the gods. I am reminded of the "Star of Bethlehem."

A comet, but still, a most unusual comet.

Yes, most unusual.

I'm not invested in any of my speculation. Since "Deep Impact" I've wondered that there may be more to comets than the scientific community is letting on, and why we would go to so much trouble to blast Tempel 1 with a "copper washtub." I know, I know, all in the name of furthering human understanding. At least that's what they are telling us.

Also, shortly after "Deep Impact", there were reports of an extra-galactic star streaking toward the Milky Way at incredible speed. I found a post of mine from two years ago referencing it, but the link to the thread about it here on ATS is dead, and I can't find anything about it by searching Google and Yahoo. Go figure.

Then along comes Comet Holmes, and everybody is scambling around trying to explain why this comet doesn't act like other comets.

Like I said, it makes me wonder.....

[edit on 22-11-2007 by Icarus Rising]

thank you guys for the very....interesting...answers to my question..i saw a picture of it the other day and from what that picture showed it was the largest and most bright star and i was wondering if there was any truth too it? anyone got any pictures of it?

There are some very good pictures posted right here on ATS. Just do a search on the comet name and you will come up with quite a few.

reply to post by justanothergangster


If you can find that other thread about Holmes ( I'd give you a link but I unintentionally deleted my subscription list ....) There was a link to a space photography site with up-dating pics....

One of the photographers, as best I recall, did mention that he could not discern a 'hard' nucleus at the heart of Holmes. Has anyone noticed this mentioned by other astronomers ??

I do still have this link, at least....
antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov...

[edit on 22-11-2007 by frayed1]

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
...Then along comes Comet Holmes, and everybody is scambling around trying to explain why this comet doesn't act like other comets.

Like I said, it makes me wonder.....

Not all stars act like we originally thought a star should act...but they are still stars. Not all moons act (or are made of) what we originally thought a moon should be like...but they are still moons.

Just because we are learning new things about comets from Comet Holmes does not mean that Holmes is not a comet. It just means that we have more to learn about comets -- just like we have a lot to learn about the rest of the solar system and the universe in general.

That's called science.

[edit on 11/26/2007 by Soylent Green Is People]

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


I couldn't have said it better myself. Wait a minute... I think I did say that, in different words, about a dozen times on this site.

Seriously, that is exactly the approach we need to take. Sure we can speculate on something, especially when it behaves in a way w think is odd, but we can't just throw science out the window because we can make up a more interesting story.

Good point.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


There is also a lot of disinfo out there propagated by the people we rely on to interpret these things. You can swallow their story hook, line, and sinker if you want to. I am more skeptical, for my own reasons.

So tell me, if this comet has blown up like this before, a hundred some-odd years ago, how is it that it is able to blow up again? I mean, if it already blew up, what is left of it to blow up again? This looks like a pretty terminal explosion for this comet. Did it just blow up part way last time? Have you even asked yourself that question, or are you so satisfied with the "official explanation" that you stopped thinking about it all together?

Its called being able to think for yourself.

[edit on 26-11-2007 by Icarus Rising]

i read something this morning about now the dust cloud and what not forom the comet makes it larger then the sun. this "explosion" it had has to be thought about seriously its in space so nothing is going to slow down the dust and what are the implications of this dust clouding making contact with the earth? our sattelites can go to "sleep" and avoid damages caused by solar discharges but what about hundreds of thousands of tiny ice particles travelling 1,000's of miles per hour hitting them? and i think icarus is havin the same concer i am is it getting bigger because of this "explosion" or is it getting bigger in the sky because of shortening distance being lied about by the scientists who present there unverifiable results to us every day? what really got me is this has been at the back of my mind and i had a dream last night that it was visible during the day and that was before i woke up and saw the thread about it being larger than the sun. also ((propably wont follow me on this but here goes anyway)) doesnt nostrodamus and the bible say something about a comet? and this one is becoming one of the most talked about and here five years before 2012. who knows though this is just one of those things that can mean many things or absolutely nothing.

FYI....it appears that tonight's "Coast-to-Coast AM" is going to be about comet Holmes.

www.coasttocoastam.com...

reply to post by Noscitare


Since I can't get that in till a later replay, I hope someone downloads that and puts it up for everyone here. It would be good to hear what others are thinking on the subject.

A funny thought popped into my mind last night as I was looking at
the stars..
remember when those ppl committed suicide when hale-bop
came into view... What if they were wrong and it was
THIS comet they were waiting for.. LOLOL

that would be the ultimate DUH! moment.. LOL

well. not funny.. but slightly comical..