Let's Deny Ignorance: The Not So Doom-y Truth About Comet ISON

Let's talk about comet ISON, shall we? More specifically.. I want to discuss the myths and misinformation that are plaguing the interwebz about Cheesy's favorite comet. I've seen this stuff spewed on Youtube, and the misinformation is bleeding over into the forums right here on ATS.

Let's deny a little ignorance:

1. NASA is lying about comet ISON and hiding the doom-y, gloomy truth from the public.

There’s a scene from the 1998 movie Deep Impact where the president, played by Morgan Freeman, reveals a terrible truth… the U.S. government has known for over a year that a doomsday comet is headed straight towards Earth, with Hollywood CGI destruction sure to follow.

While dramatic, the scenario is also extremely implausible. On any given evening, amateur astronomers are sweeping the skies using telescopes mounted in backyard observatories that are the envy of many major universities. This effort to discover comets is collaborative and worldwide. If the “Big One” were headed our way, even the likes of Morgan Freeman couldn’t keep it secret.

As soon as an object is discovered, the information is released to the world-wide community of professional, as well as amateur astronomers. There is a rush to confirm, observe, and record data about the object in question and then the data is compiled to calculate the size and orbital path. More observations, means a more accurate picture of the object.

So that public that NASA is 'hiding the truth' from... are part of the whole process from discovery, to observations, to calculations. How can it be hidden from the very people doing the legwork?

When a discovery is made — be it by amateur or professional — the first task is to gain enough observations of the object to ascertain its orbit. Once again, we see the international collaborative methods employed by modern science. Already, the cosmic cat’s out of the bag as observatories worldwide make follow up measurements. There are no secrets about Comet ISON that hundreds of astronomers could keep quiet

It isn't possible to hide this kind of information from the public because of the collaborative and world wide effort in finding and tracking objects. NASA funds the Minor Planet Center, which is where objects are reported, data is collected, and results made public. NASA actually has surprisingly little do with any of it, which is another very common misconception.

2. Comet ISON has other objects in tow.

One currently circulating claim states that Comet ISON has “companions” that have been imaged trailing it. While comets do indeed fragment on occasion, the culprits that can be seen in the .gif animation circulating the internet are easily identified by photography experts as hot pixels in the camera

One youtube user, is a fan of taking images and adjusting the contrast to show 'hidden' objects within or around the comet. He is doing nothing more than enhancing these hot pixels and other photographic artifacts/anomalies and lying to the viewers about what he has supposedly 'exposed', when in truth.... they are nothing more than common findings in these types of images. You can find anything if you look hard enough... and apparently.. people really want to find that doom to up their views on teh youtubez, even if it means lying to the viewers and propagating ignorance and fear.

If and when ISON fragments... we will certainly know about it with so many dedicated astronomers and other sky-watchers out there keeping tabs on all things ISON.

3. Comet ISON is going to hit us/Comet ISON is Niburu/The debris field will wreak havoc on earth

Scientists have defined this comet’s orbit very precisely, and it won’t hit Earth. So, no Comet ISON is not Nibiru — that ‘tenth planet’ destined to destroy Earth that conspiracy lovers can’t seem to let go of.

The debris — which might create a very nice meteor shower — is made up of extremely tiny grains of dust, no more than a few microns wide. Since they will be hitting Earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to 200,000 km/hr (125,000 miles per hour), the particles will burn up.

Over 6400 observations have been used in calculating ISON's orbit which leaves a very small margin of error. This data is obtained from professional and amateur astronomers around the world, so it is NOT NASA fudging the numbers, since they aren't even NASA's numbers in the first place.

The debris field of dust left in the comet's wake, will harm no one and will not cause any damage. We pass through debris fields of past comets many times a year and one can enjoy several annual meteor showers as a result.

Source

So, there you have it, folks. ISON is just a comet, it poses no danger to earth, its not niburu, it has nothing in tow, NASA is not lying, and it will pass much like Elenin and the others... without incident.

Please stop propagating ignorance and fear mongering.

I'm with you %100! Good job, a star and flag for you!

mmmmmmmm i wonder what prompted you to write this thread?
Of course your absolutely right daryllyn, straight facts give straight answers.
Good thread, star and flag from me

reply to post by daryllyn


I've got nothing really that I can say to that other than ... Well said (thumbs up)

reply to post by daryllyn


I'm just hoping for a good light show to share with friends and family. Fingers and toes crossed that it is blazing across the sky. The last comet I saw was Hale-Bopp in 1997, and that was a gooood one! And, of course, thanks for setting the site straight, lots of us appreciate your work here to "Deny Ignorance or whatever".

SecretKnowledge
mmmmmmmm i wonder what prompted you to write this thread?

The massive amount of incorrect information, fear mongering and misinformation spreading I have seen right here on ATS, maybe?

That might be it.

WHAT IF..

Would it not be possible if the comet breaks up as it is sling shotting around the sun into smaller pieces with different density therefore creating a different orbital path. Now we would have a bunch of tiny comets all shooting out in different paths than the original?

I agree that it most likely will do nothing but there always is the possibility. As possibilities are endless.

Thank you for the detailed, point-by-point refutation. S & F

It's like a breath of fresh air in here.

The doom-porn conspiretards will, of course, ignore it completely because (and they will never tell you this), "You're just a big meanie out to spoil their fun!" That and (also never-to-be-admitted) cosmic apocalypse is a great excuse to get out of work and/or that big assignment that's due.

Frank Dinkle
WHAT IF..

Would it not be possible if the comet breaks up as it is sling shotting around the sun into smaller pieces with different density therefore creating a different orbital path. Now we would have a bunch of tiny comets all shooting out in different paths than the original?

I agree that it most likely will do nothing but there always is the possibility. As possibilities are endless.

That is an excellent question. Maybe we can dig through the wealth of information out there online to find the most probable answer.

If it happens, it certainly won't be the first time. Maybe past data from similar events can help shed some light on it.

daryllyn

SecretKnowledge
mmmmmmmm i wonder what prompted you to write this thread?

The massive amount of incorrect information, fear mongering and misinformation spreading I have seen right here on ATS, maybe?

That might be it.

Indeed.
i was referring to the thread last night where somebody posted a youtuber's video's, and you called him out. it was a bit of a ding dong thread going back and forth.

Double post

Frank Dinkle
WHAT IF..

Would it not be possible if the comet breaks up as it is sling shotting around the sun into smaller pieces with different density therefore creating a different orbital path. Now we would have a bunch of tiny comets all shooting out in different paths than the original?

I agree that it most likely will do nothing but there always is the possibility. As possibilities are endless.

The fragments tend to follow the same path as the original through the inner solar system. Newton's Laws and all that. Eventually perturbations on the different pieces will cause them to drift further and further apart.

I think you are on the wrong website. Everyone knows ATS is the collection of misinformation, propaganda and obfuscation.

In fact, in years past it was difficult for the military industrial complex to get a runaway meme started but now with sites like ATS, discerning truth from fiction has become all but impossible. Stories like alien wars in underground bases has almost become a staple of 'truth' in the conspiracy community.

Sad really, I was once a person who thought ATS was where one should go to deny ignorance, now I feel this is where it breeds. *sigh*

Frank Dinkle
WHAT IF..

Would it not be possible if the comet breaks up as it is sling shotting around the sun into smaller pieces with different density therefore creating a different orbital path. Now we would have a bunch of tiny comets all shooting out in different paths than the original?

No.
It ends up being more like train carriages decoupling from each other.

The "breaking up" isnt anywhere near enough to send the bits on completely different paths, and we saw an excellent example of this with Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9... in which all the bits trailed along like "pearls on a string" before crashing into Jupiter.

There's been a lot of people on ATS wondering if any bits that break off would go wildly spinning off in completely random directions, but orbital mechanicals doesnt work that way.

reply to post by alfa1


Thanks for clarifying that.

Once again, the truth proves to be far less doom-y than its fictitious counterpart.

See, I bet if we look back in ATS history this is how it started for Phage, an innocent sincere effort to educate.....lol Well done!

reply to post by daryllyn


Oh come on...you know it's the end of the world when it hits us!

LOL!

SecretKnowledge
Double post

edit on 26/11/13 by SecretKnowledge because: (no reason given)

I wonder if anyone has quoted a double post before. Probably. I gave you a star on the double post because with so little writing it was interesting watching the birds go round and round and round and round....kind of like fear and doom and "the sky is falling" threads here and elsewhere go round and round and round and round.

reply to post by daryllyn


Hi there daryllyn, while I will agree with your points #1 and #2....but as for #3 -

When ISON passes a mere 720,000 miles from the Sun, NASA (or nobody else) cannot possibly predict how many pieces she may breakup into, or how big they will be.

But most importantly, NASA has admitted there is no simulation available to predict the pieces' trajectory or speed.

The Chelyabinsk Meteor, considered the largest in over 100 years was 17-20 meters in diameter.

ISON's nucleus is an estimated 3-5 km (being very conservative here)...

Imagine how many Chelyabinsk Meteor's this could produce?!?!?

In summary, DoOm back on!

reply to post by Signals

But most importantly, NASA has admitted there is no simulation available to predict the pieces' trajectory or speed.

Do you have a source for that? I'd like to check it out.