Deja Vu and the green Comet Hartley 2

Seems like just yesterday I was out looking for the ever elusive green comet. In fact I was - just 4 months ago - only then it was the green Comet McNaught. That in itself was another deja vu experience because in 2007, I was out looking for McNaught as well. That, too, was odd because McNaught was actually not discovered until 2009. Hard to keep these things straight these days.

In 2005 there was the green Comet Macholz which I also failed to find. More failures in 2007 with the green Comet Lovejoy and in 2009 with the green Comet Lulin. McNaught and Lulin were only supposed to come around the one time so not sure what happened with the double McNaught - more deja vu?

Now, October 20, 2010, I'm out looking for the green Comet Hartley 2. Missed Hartley 1 somehow.

In the winter of early 2008 I did see a huge green fireball - definitely not a comet because it crashed. It was a brilliant poison green. The photos I've seen of all the green comets I've missed are more of a forest green or even a pastel springtime green but maybe that's just 'neo-paint' or something.

Anyway, just wondering if others are having better luck than me spotting these many green comets and if others are feeling some of that same old deja vu.

I remember seeing Hale-Bop about 15 years ago. I saw a report on the local news about being able to see it and went outside to look at it one evening and it was incredible. That was the first time I have ever seen something like that. it was cool cause you could see it with the naked eye. Just a big old green blob with a trail. It was pretty amazing. I have missed everything since then due to clouds, clouds and more clouds.

reply to post by Rhadamanthus


A lot of us were looking at the sky at the same time

reply to post by jessejamesxx


Yes that is very true. That is one thing I will probably remember for the rest of my life. The cosmos are incredible.

reply to post by Rhadamanthus

I saw Hale-Bopp too - many times but it was a dull white color - nothing approaching green. Yes it was quite a sight but it's the green comets that I seem to miss. Tell me more about the section of sky you saw it in and did others see this comet as green also?

reply to post by luxordelphi


When I saw it I was only able to view it right above the tree line. I could see the entire thing. The comet itself was white. The green blob was what followed behind it. At times it would almost appear as being a shade of blue and purple too. I lived in a very rural part of north Georgia when it came around. I took pictures but know where those are is a different problem. I am sure they are packed away in a box somewhere.

I wanted to see it but there was a huge thunderstorm here

reply to post by Rhadamanthus

That's just awesome - I had no idea. I saw nothing like that but did, at the time, hear the rumors about something sometimes following and sometimes leading. There was alot of debunk at the time but I tended to side with the witnesses because of the secrecy and inconsistencies within the scientific community over where and when to view. Because of this I was never really completely convinced that it was Hale-Bopp that I saw and not some other huge object.