Comments on: Twice the ice http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:59:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: George http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15661 George Tue, 13 Jun 2006 15:03:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15661 Regarding this claim that 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann comet fragments could hit the Earth: I'm sure that astronomers have tracked the big ones and none could have posed any risk for us. But on wednesday, 7 jun, Norway took a good punch. http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1346411.ece Record meteorite hit Norway As Wednesday morning dawned, northern Norway was hit with an impact comparable to the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima. Maybe it was just another meteorite, like many others that hit Earth with regularity. Or maybe not. Regarding this claim that 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann comet fragments could hit the Earth:
I’m sure that astronomers have tracked the big ones and none could have posed any risk for us.
But on wednesday, 7 jun, Norway took a good punch.

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1346411.ece

Record meteorite hit Norway
As Wednesday morning dawned, northern Norway was hit with an impact comparable to the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima.

Maybe it was just another meteorite, like many others that hit Earth with regularity.
Or maybe not.

]]> By: CR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15660 CR Wed, 07 Jun 2006 05:19:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15660 I'm sure this has been posted around here before, but it bears repeating: http://www.despair.com/wishes.html I’m sure this has been posted around here before, but it bears repeating:
http://www.despair.com/wishes.html

]]> By: Kaptain K http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15659 Kaptain K Tue, 06 Jun 2006 16:40:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15659 "All kidding aside, I do have a quick question about the comet. Are the pieces of this comet staying in about the same orbit, or are they moving away from each other?" Yes! ;) They are all staying in about the same orbit and are moving away from each other in that orbit. “All kidding aside, I do have a quick question about the comet. Are the pieces of this comet staying in about the same orbit, or are they moving away from each other?”

Yes! ;)

They are all staying in about the same orbit and are moving away from each other in that orbit.

]]> By: Evolving Squid http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15658 Evolving Squid Tue, 06 Jun 2006 14:45:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15658 <i>bad hair days</i> Comet-induced bad hair. That one is going on my excuse calendar! bad hair days

Comet-induced bad hair.

That one is going on my excuse calendar!

]]> By: Gary Ansorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15657 Gary Ansorge Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:18:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15657 Guess this comet would be a good source of easily extracted H2O for astronauts on their way,,,somewhere else,,, GAry 7 Guess this comet would be a good source of easily extracted H2O for astronauts on their way,,,somewhere else,,,

GAry 7

]]> By: Mark Hansen http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15656 Mark Hansen Tue, 06 Jun 2006 04:50:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15656 I also have a couple of questions similar to Swordfish. Is there enough of the comet left to keep the designation 73P active? If so, what about the smaller pieces; will they receive new designations or do they keep their suffixes until they burn out, burn up, or collide with the Earth wreaking death, destruction, mayhem, and bad hair days? I also have a couple of questions similar to Swordfish. Is there enough of the comet left to keep the designation 73P active? If so, what about the smaller pieces; will they receive new designations or do they keep their suffixes until they burn out, burn up, or collide with the Earth wreaking death, destruction, mayhem, and bad hair days?

]]> By: Swordfish http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15655 Swordfish Mon, 05 Jun 2006 18:45:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15655 Yes, master. Must join discussion board. All kidding aside, I do have a quick question about the comet. Are the pieces of this comet staying in about the same orbit, or are they moving away from each other? Yes, master. Must join discussion board.

All kidding aside, I do have a quick question about the comet. Are the pieces of this comet staying in about the same orbit, or are they moving away from each other?

]]> By: Jeremy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15654 Jeremy Mon, 05 Jun 2006 17:06:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15654 I for one welcome our new Bad Astronomy Overlords.. I for one welcome our new Bad Astronomy Overlords..

]]> By: Evolving Squid http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15653 Evolving Squid Mon, 05 Jun 2006 17:01:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15653 Xenu flew by in a UFO and corrupted it for the collective dissing of the crop circle prediction and EJ on this blog. That'll learn y'all! Cool picture indeed. Unfortunately, I have not had the correct combination of time and weather/seeing to allow me to observe this comet :( I wimped out of doing what I did for both Hyakutake and Hale/Bopp: stay up all night and take the next day off, mostly because it's been so cloudy and vile outside. Prior to Hyakutake, the last comet I'd ever seen was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Kohoutek" rel="nofollow">Kohoutek</a>, so I generally consider these things to be "skip-work" worthy. I missed Comet Halley :( Maybe I'll still be around in 2062 (97ish years old). However, there are lots of pictures, so that kind of makes up for it. Xenu flew by in a UFO and corrupted it for the collective dissing of the crop circle prediction and EJ on this blog. That’ll learn y’all!

Cool picture indeed.

Unfortunately, I have not had the correct combination of time and weather/seeing to allow me to observe this comet :( I wimped out of doing what I did for both Hyakutake and Hale/Bopp: stay up all night and take the next day off, mostly because it’s been so cloudy and vile outside. Prior to Hyakutake, the last comet I’d ever seen was Kohoutek, so I generally consider these things to be “skip-work” worthy. I missed Comet Halley :( Maybe I’ll still be around in 2062 (97ish years old).

However, there are lots of pictures, so that kind of makes up for it.

]]> By: The Bad Astronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15652 The Bad Astronomer Mon, 05 Jun 2006 16:14:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15652 That was odd-- the picture was fine last night when I posted the entry, but somehow the link to it got corrupted in the entry. I corrected it, so the image is back now. That was odd– the picture was fine last night when I posted the entry, but somehow the link to it got corrupted in the entry. I corrected it, so the image is back now.

]]> By: jfaberuiuc http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15651 jfaberuiuc Mon, 05 Jun 2006 14:48:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15651 That's a pretty cool picture at the discussion board. I just signed up, so if I get any e-mails in the next few minutes wondering if I'm interested in Viagra, or maybe V!@gr@, I'll know it came from you... Wait, I just got one, I knew it would happen if I gave out my e-mail, but thanks for the offer of a million dollars for helping out a troubled African diplomat. That’s a pretty cool picture at the discussion board. I just signed up, so if I get any e-mails in the next few minutes wondering if I’m interested in Viagra, or maybe V!@gr@, I’ll know it came from you…

Wait, I just got one, I knew it would happen if I gave out my e-mail, but thanks for the offer of a million dollars for helping out a troubled African diplomat.

]]> By: Kevin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15650 Kevin Mon, 05 Jun 2006 13:45:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15650 Umm, what picture Phil? :) Umm, what picture Phil? :)

]]> By: Roy Batty http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15649 Roy Batty Mon, 05 Jun 2006 12:13:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15649 Oh I dunno, I'm sure he gets a lot of new people dropping in everyday that don't even know that 'there is a forum attached to this site' (sorry Phil ;)) Oh I dunno, I’m sure he gets a lot of new people dropping in everyday that don’t even know that ‘there is a forum attached to this site’ (sorry Phil ;) )

]]> By: Nigel Depledge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/comment-page-1/#comment-15648 Nigel Depledge Mon, 05 Jun 2006 06:23:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/06/04/twice-the-ice/#comment-15648 You're preaching to the choir, Phil. I'm not sure that is the most appopriate analogy, but what the hey... You’re preaching to the choir, Phil.

I’m not sure that is the most appopriate analogy, but what the hey…

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