Comet Elenin is coming!

reply to post by freestonew
Well Id say it is a matter of time that we would be hit by something,.
look at the strikes against Jupiter in just the last few years

Can I inject some sanity here?

Comet Hartley passed within 0.12 AU of Earth just a couple of months ago at a magnitude 5. Anybody remember that? I do. I searched for that comet every night for a month with a 150mm F/5 refractor telescope designed for deep space objects and never found it, even when right on the coordinates it was supposed to be at.

Elenin is now projected to pass within 0.24 to 0.26 AU... Over twice as far away! Latest projections put it at magnitude 6 to 8, practically invisible to the unaided eye unless in a VERY dark-sky area.

This is just another comet, one of dozens that pass this way each year. It's not even going to qualify for "Great Comet" status, much less be the "World Killer" people are making it out to be.

reply to post by loki41872


Actually you are right. It isn't even classified in the Great Comet status. The more concerning comet would be Comet Honda that passes much closer than this one.

Regardless though, it is the Draconid meteor shower that could be the concern here for Oct. 2011. NASA is currently warning about it.

The Draconid Meteor shower 2010 continues, 2011 could be downright dangerous

www.examiner.com...

This year, Earth just missed the trail of debris shed by Comet Giacobini-Zinner. Missing the main belt of debris resulted in the less than spectacular shower. Come next near, though, Earth is set to run straight into the thickest part of the space junk. Result: some experts are predicting a storm up to 750 meteors per hour! In other terms, that could mean up to 6 meteors per minute! The shower is expected to be so intense that NASA is already developing plans on what to do should the meteors damage satellites, including the inhabited International Space Station.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: The Draconid Meteor shower 2010 continues, 2011 could be downright dangerous - Cleveland astronomy | Examiner.com www.examiner.com...

THIS COULD BE IT!

Next year, however, could be different. On October 8, 2011, Earth will have a nearly head-on collision with a tendril of dust, setting off a strong outburst of as many as 750 meteors per hour. One year from now, sky watchers could see the strongest meteor shower since the Leonid storms a decade ago.

www.southgatearc.org...

I would suspect there could be some large icy bolides in this storm, and if those hit Earth, populated cities like Tunguska in 1908, then the world changes completely.


October 8th, 2009 Asteroid Explosion over Indonesia

www.telegraph.co.uk...

October 8th, 2009

This is a large bolide coming from the Draconid meteor shower I would assume. Can't wait for what 2011 brings with this. HOLY SH**

reply to post by Stargate2012


Relax, Bolides aren't gonna hurt anyone, they are just larger chucks of ice / rock that can explode high up, you may hear them, but thats it.

Remember, most meteors from dust trails are the size of sand grains to peas etc, whilst you get the larger ones which may give you a bolide, they pose no risk down here. Worst case scenario a satellite or two gets knocked about. (Although worst case could be danger to occupants of the ISS).

reply to post by Stargate2012


Nice find.

Thanks

reply to post by woogleuk


Um ever heard of Tunguska? Pretty sure it was a bolide. Yes, large bolides can do damage here on Earth or above in the sky, which could do damage here on Earth even if it explodes above. Get your facts straight.

On October 8, 2009, a large asteroid smashed into Earth’s atmosphere above South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The resulting explosion could be heard by monitoring stations some 10,000 miles away, according to a report by scientists at the University of Western Ontario.

Many scientists and experts are concerned that this asteroid wasn’t spotted by any Earth-based telescopes and that, if it had been any larger, it could have triggered a disaster.

The asteroid, thought to have been around 30 feet across, struck our atmosphere at an estimated speed of about 45,000 miles per hour. The sudden deceleration caused it to heat quickly and explode with the force of about 50,000 tons of TNT.

Luckily, as the explosion took place about 9 to 12 miles above sea level, no damage was done here on the ground.

If, however, the asteroid had been slightly larger, say 60 to 90 feet across, it could very easily have caused widespread damage and loss of life, according to researchers.

Very few objects smaller than 300 feet across have been spotted and catalogued by astronomers.

www.blippitt.com...

Indonesian Super-Bolide Explosion ( why wasn't this on the news?),

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Oct. 8th, 2009

Nasa warning about major Draconid meteor shower for Oct. 8th, 2011

Oct. 8th, 2011 is Yom Kippur

Read Revelation 12

www.bartleby.com...

Enough said.

reply to post by woogleuk


I assume that you are still getting your information from Wikipedia. I urge you to look at the Electric Universe theory and electric comets as referenced at the start of this thread.

Wikipedia is a joke - it says "They are often popularly described as "dirty snowballs", though recent observations have revealed dry dusty or rocky surfaces, suggesting that the ices are hidden beneath the crust." en.wikipedia.org...

What?! Can't you just feel them squirming? Trouble is, like most established science, they are not prepared to admit they are wrong, and they are not even scientists!

Originally posted by Stargate2012
reply to post by woogleuk

 

Get your facts straight.

My facts are straight sir, a bolide is a meteorite that cause a flash when it burns out. The word bolide derives from the Greek "bolis", which means flash.

A bolide is harmless, although it puts on a scarily pretty display.

It's also used more losely in astronomy to refer to a fireball that reaches something like -14 / -15 magnitude, usually exploding with a bright flash (any brighter and they are refered to as superbolides).

They are usually no larger than a boulder and explode high up, causing no damage to the ground.

reply to post by woogleuk


Yup, you are still reading Wikipedia. That last post is a direct quote. I just read it there a minute ago.

reply to post by PuterMan


I'm getting my information from years of reading and going out with the telescope and looking up. Granted, if there is something I don't know or I am unsure of I will google and look at several sources. Wikipedia is the last resort usually, lol.

Originally posted by Stargate2012
reply to post by loki41872

 

Actually you are right. It isn't even classified in the Great Comet status. The more concerning comet would be Comet Honda that passes much closer than this one.

Comet Honda? I hope it has good brakes *snicker* *titter*

reply to post by PuterMan


Whilst I'm not doubting you, can you link me to the wiki page? I assure you I am not quoting from there.

reply to post by woogleuk


Ah ha! So you are an amateur astronomer then. I can understand why the reluctance to accept any new theory in that case. Nevertheless the Electric Universe is darn good. I just spent all afternoon reading up about it and so far I find it very impressive.

Seriously, take a look at it.

PS I just did give the link in the post above, of course Wikipedia quotes their information from other sources so it may just be that you are both using the same source. They are actually forbidden to enter any original text.




Oops, sincere apologies - that link was a different page.

Try this one en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by woogleuk


If they are large enough, they can do damage. What happened in Indonesia in 2009 was classified as a likely bolide. What happened in Tunguska in 1908 was likely a bolide.

"Bolide - A bolide is another term for a fireball, or a large size rock that burns up in the atmosphere, producing a more spectacular show. The source of some bolides are large enough to reach the ground as meteorites, and occasionally do damage on Earth."

Read more at Suite101: Facts About Meteors: Defining Terms and Fun Trivia Info on Shooting and Falling Stars www.suite101.com...

reply to post by PuterMan


I'll look it up (electric universe). I'm not reluctant to hear new theorys BTW, but when one understands what things are it's good to educate others.

I've seen a couple of bolides in my time, and they are indeed scary, especially when you hear the fizz then pop.

But anything large enough to cause widespread damage such as Tunguska, is still refered to as either an asteroid (meteor) or comet exploding before impact.

One thing I have to say, a fist sized or greater meteor creates a massive fireball and trail, and no matter how many times I see one, and know what it is I am seeing, I still nearly have trouser accident splatter. The great thing is, the adrenaline that pumps through one at that moment is a great sensation.

reply to post by Stargate2012


I see where you are getting confused Stargate, what it is saying that the "source" of the bolide, which is the meteor can sometimes reach the ground, they are all meteors as soon as they hit the atmosphere, if they are bright enough, and / or create a flash (explodes), they are refered to as bolides, however, if the "source" reaches the ground, it is still a meteor (well, meteorite if it hits the ground and survives).