Comments on: A dead comet for SOHO http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/ 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. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:09:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Oz Engineer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49813 Oz Engineer Mon, 01 Oct 2007 05:45:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49813 I agree with Hugh - This is exactly why I read the BA blog so eagerly. Now that I think of it, aren't dark comets dangerous to Earth? They must be difficult to see, presumably their orbits take them out past Earth and back again, in this case every four years. As stated in the article, they are too small to see from Earth. What's the chance of a thousand tonne bull's-eye? That would take the enhanced greenhouse effect off the front page for a while... presuming that there are still front pages. I agree with Hugh – This is exactly why I read the BA blog so eagerly. Now that I think of it, aren’t dark comets dangerous to Earth? They must be difficult to see, presumably their orbits take them out past Earth and back again, in this case every four years.

As stated in the article, they are too small to see from Earth.

What’s the chance of a thousand tonne bull’s-eye? That would take the enhanced greenhouse effect off the front page for a while… presuming that there are still front pages.

]]> By: Hugh http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49812 Hugh Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:43:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49812 Wow, this is exactly why I read BA - this is something I'd never even pondered and from the animations it's one of the more beautiful events our universe has to offer. Wow, this is exactly why I read BA – this is something I’d never even pondered and from the animations it’s one of the more beautiful events our universe has to offer.

]]> By: OneHotJupiter http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49811 OneHotJupiter Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:34:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49811 That animation is some of the coolest stuff I've ever seen! Amazing to see the Sun , just bellow out all that stuff! Fascinating!! That animation is some of the coolest stuff I’ve ever seen! Amazing to see the Sun , just bellow out all that stuff! Fascinating!!

]]> By: Kevin F. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49810 Kevin F. Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:34:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49810 Butch: I just finished rereading that! A favorite. :D Butch: I just finished rereading that! A favorite. :D

]]> By: Just Al http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49809 Just Al Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:29:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49809 Tacitus: Beware The Centipede. He's got a big bone held behind his back. [Cue superdramatic music] Tacitus:

Beware The Centipede. He’s got a big bone held behind his back.

[Cue superdramatic music]

]]> By: The Centipede http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49800 The Centipede Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:10:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49800 Tacitus: I've got a lunar magnetic anomaly whose origin point lies twenty meters under the surface of Tycho Crater that I'd like to show you... Tacitus:

I’ve got a lunar magnetic anomaly whose origin point lies twenty meters under the surface of Tycho Crater that I’d like to show you…

]]> By: A Ler…-- Rastos de Luz http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49799 A Ler…-- Rastos de Luz Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:54:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49799 [...] A dead comet for SOHO no Bad Astronomy [...] [...] A dead comet for SOHO no Bad Astronomy [...]

]]> By: tacitus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49806 tacitus Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:45:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49806 Come on guys, everybody knows this has to be an alien artifact, placed in a orbit where we would be unable to discover it until we reached the requisite level of advancement as a species. Obviously that's why it's not behaving like a normal comet... No... ? Well, a man can dream, can't he? Come on guys, everybody knows this has to be an alien artifact, placed in a orbit where we would be unable to discover it until we reached the requisite level of advancement as a species. Obviously that’s why it’s not behaving like a normal comet…

No… ?

Well, a man can dream, can’t he?

]]> By: PK http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49808 PK Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:53:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49808 Actually, the sun is probably outlined by the white circle, right? Also notice the interference fringes around the edge of the eye patch, very cool. Actually, the sun is probably outlined by the white circle, right? Also notice the interference fringes around the edge of the eye patch, very cool.

]]> By: PK http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49807 PK Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:50:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49807 BA, do you know how much bigger the eye patch of LASCO is than the solid angle of the sun? In other words, how much do we miss? And also, I noticed quite a few big flares just as the comets pass through the corona. Is this a coincidence, or do the comets set them off? BA, do you know how much bigger the eye patch of LASCO is than the solid angle of the sun? In other words, how much do we miss?

And also, I noticed quite a few big flares just as the comets pass through the corona. Is this a coincidence, or do the comets set them off?

]]> By: Doc http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49805 Doc Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:41:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49805 It's not so much a cubic mile of hot fudge sundae, as is a cubic tenth-mile of rock candy. It’s not so much a cubic mile of hot fudge sundae, as is a cubic tenth-mile of rock candy.

]]> By: Donnie B. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49804 Donnie B. Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:28:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49804 Give my people the lightning! :-) My question would be, does Mr. Hoenig get to put his name on his comet, or is it stuck forever with the (SOHO) label? Just how does a spacecraft discover a comet, anyway? Give my people the lightning! :-)

My question would be, does Mr. Hoenig get to put his name on his comet, or is it stuck forever with the (SOHO) label?

Just how does a spacecraft discover a comet, anyway?

]]> By: Laguna2 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49803 Laguna2 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:25:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49803 If you are interested how he found it, you can ask him. Find his email address here: http://www.sungrazer.org/ If you are interested how he found it, you can ask him.
Find his email address here:
http://www.sungrazer.org/

]]> By: Arthur Maruyama http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49802 Arthur Maruyama Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:08:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49802 Oops! Sorry, missed a digit: Mercury's perihelion is 46 million km, not 40. Oops! Sorry, missed a digit: Mercury’s perihelion is 46 million km, not 40.

]]> By: Arthur Maruyama http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49801 Arthur Maruyama Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:06:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49801 Considering how close this comet gets to the sun (7.9 million km), I wonder if the brightness seen at its perihelion is due to vaporization of material other than water/ice? After all, it does get closer than 20% the orbital distance of Mercury at its perihelion (40 million km). Considering how close this comet gets to the sun (7.9 million km), I wonder if the brightness seen at its perihelion is due to vaporization of material other than water/ice? After all, it does get closer than 20% the orbital distance of Mercury at its perihelion (40 million km).

]]> By: The Centipede http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49798 The Centipede Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:12:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49798 Interesting. If there are quite a few dead comets, they'd contain material from the original accumulation of the Solar System. Failing that, they may exhibit new minerals due to heat-freeze-reheat cycles. Either way, they'd be scientifically valuable in one way or another. Perhaps once a dead comet whose orbital energy falls within the range of our available C3, we could send a probe out to go take a look at it and, if we're really lucky, return a sample...? Interesting. If there are quite a few dead comets, they’d contain material from the original accumulation of the Solar System. Failing that, they may exhibit new minerals due to heat-freeze-reheat cycles. Either way, they’d be scientifically valuable in one way or another.

Perhaps once a dead comet whose orbital energy falls within the range of our available C3, we could send a probe out to go take a look at it and, if we’re really lucky, return a sample…?

]]> By: Butch http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/comment-page-1/#comment-49797 Butch Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:07:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/09/26/a-dead-comet-for-soho/#comment-49797 Blame it on recently finishing Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, but I’m wondering what a 200m comet like this would look like if it hit Earth. Blame it on recently finishing Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, but I’m wondering what a 200m comet like this would look like if it hit Earth.

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