Comments on: Hubble peers into the weird heart of Comet Holmes http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/ Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:12:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: doug http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53029 doug Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:44:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53029 Its about time this "dirty snowball" construct of comet composition be swept into the dustbin of bad astronomy, and yes, Phil you are engaged in this chrade of irrationality. First sign of bad science is theoretical concepts presented as irrefutable certainty. "Remember, all the action is coming from the nucleus of the comet, a chunk of ice and rock only a few kilometers across." Its time the simplicity, intuitiveness, and elegance of electric universe theory be examined in ernest. https://publicaffairs.llnl.gov/news/news_releases/2008/NR-08-01-05.html Its about time this “dirty snowball” construct of comet composition be swept into the dustbin of bad astronomy, and yes, Phil you are engaged in this chrade of irrationality. First sign of bad science is theoretical concepts presented as irrefutable certainty.

“Remember, all the action is coming from the nucleus of the comet, a chunk of ice and rock only a few kilometers across.”

Its time the simplicity, intuitiveness, and elegance of electric universe theory be examined in ernest.

https://publicaffairs.llnl.gov/news/news_releases/2008/NR-08-01-05.html

]]> By: Sorting Out Science » Blog Archive » Philosophia Naturalis #15 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53028 Sorting Out Science » Blog Archive » Philosophia Naturalis #15 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:52:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53028 [...] Scientific Indian discusses the impressive girth of Holmes dust shroud, while Bad Astronomy takes a (possibly) last look at the weirdness that is Holmes via a couple of Hubble and [...] [...] Scientific Indian discusses the impressive girth of Holmes dust shroud, while Bad Astronomy takes a (possibly) last look at the weirdness that is Holmes via a couple of Hubble and [...]

]]> By: Mike http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53027 Mike Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:16:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53027 I took a look at comet Holmes last night through binaculars. When I first saw the comet, I wondered if it was a cloud because were a few wispy clouds in the sky. But, low and behold, it just stayed in the same place. I imagine that if it weren't for the interenet, some people would be claiming it was the Death Star or God preparing us for Armagedon. If it becomes much brighter, I suspect that we will hear a bunch fundies screaming that the end is near. I took a look at comet Holmes last night through binaculars. When I first saw the comet, I wondered if it was a cloud because were a few wispy clouds in the sky. But, low and behold, it just stayed in the same place. I imagine that if it weren’t for the interenet, some people would be claiming it was the Death Star or God preparing us for Armagedon.
If it becomes much brighter, I suspect that we will hear a bunch fundies screaming that the end is near.

]]> By: JanieBelle http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53026 JanieBelle Sat, 17 Nov 2007 02:57:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53026 Holy crap. I just had to read the whole post three more times before I found where you said that. My apologies for the brain cramp. (I don't know what's wrong with my reading comprehension skills, but that's happened to me several times in the last few days.) But still, isn't that abnormally large for a comet? (I get what you're saying about the magnetosphere and lack of solidity - comparing apples to apples and all.) Holy crap.

I just had to read the whole post three more times before I found where you said that.

My apologies for the brain cramp. (I don’t know what’s wrong with my reading comprehension skills, but that’s happened to me several times in the last few days.)

But still, isn’t that abnormally large for a comet?

(I get what you’re saying about the magnetosphere and lack of solidity – comparing apples to apples and all.)

]]> By: The Bad Astronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53025 The Bad Astronomer Sat, 17 Nov 2007 01:37:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53025 Janie, I did say in the post it's bigger than the Sun. I would disagree that it's the biggest thing in the solar system. Jupiter's magnetosphere is bigger, as is the magnetosphere of the Sun. Those aren't solid, but then, neither is the comet's dust cloud. Janie, I did say in the post it’s bigger than the Sun.

I would disagree that it’s the biggest thing in the solar system. Jupiter’s magnetosphere is bigger, as is the magnetosphere of the Sun. Those aren’t solid, but then, neither is the comet’s dust cloud.

]]> By: JanieBelle http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53024 JanieBelle Sat, 17 Nov 2007 00:05:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53024 Hey lookie, Dr. BA! <a href="http://www.space.com/spacewatch/071115-comet-holmes-size.html" rel="nofollow">Rob Roy Britt of Space.com is reporting</a> that the coma has embiggened so much that it's outsizing the sun. That seems like a lot of growth since the pictures you have above... or am I missing something? <blockquote>"It continues to expand and is now the largest single object in the solar system," according to astronomers at the University of Hawaii. The coma's diameter on Nov. 9 was 869,900 miles (1.4 million kilometers), based on measurements by Rachel Stevenson, Jan Kleyna and Pedro Lacerda of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. They used observations from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The sun's diameter, stated differently by various sources and usually rounded to the nearest 100, is about 864,900 miles (1.392 million kilometers).</blockquote> That's kinda on the plus-size side for a comet, ain't it? Hey lookie, Dr. BA!

Rob Roy Britt of Space.com is reporting that the coma has embiggened so much that it’s outsizing the sun. That seems like a lot of growth since the pictures you have above… or am I missing something?

“It continues to expand and is now the largest single object in the solar system,” according to astronomers at the University of Hawaii.

The coma’s diameter on Nov. 9 was 869,900 miles (1.4 million kilometers), based on measurements by Rachel Stevenson, Jan Kleyna and Pedro Lacerda of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. They used observations from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The sun’s diameter, stated differently by various sources and usually rounded to the nearest 100, is about 864,900 miles (1.392 million kilometers).

That’s kinda on the plus-size side for a comet, ain’t it?

]]> By: it’s about time» Blog Archive » links for 2007-11-16 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53023 it’s about time» Blog Archive » links for 2007-11-16 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 23:25:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53023 [...] Bad Astronomy Blog » Hubble peers into the weird heart of Comet Holmes The European arm of the Hubble Space Telescope coordinating facility has just released a new image of the weird Comet 17/P Holmes, taken on November 4, almost two weeks after the comet suddenly expelled a huge quantity of dust (tags: comet hubble astronomy) [...] [...] Bad Astronomy Blog » Hubble peers into the weird heart of Comet Holmes The European arm of the Hubble Space Telescope coordinating facility has just released a new image of the weird Comet 17/P Holmes, taken on November 4, almost two weeks after the comet suddenly expelled a huge quantity of dust (tags: comet hubble astronomy) [...]

]]> By: dave http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53022 dave Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:03:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53022 There is a new Comet Holmes website with info, links, and more www.comet17p.com There is a new Comet Holmes website with info, links, and more

http://www.comet17p.com

]]> By: Crux Australis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53021 Crux Australis Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:56:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53021 Wow, one percent of the distance from Earth to Sun! Just 100 of those bad boys would fit between them. That sound you hear is my mind, boggling. Wow, one percent of the distance from Earth to Sun! Just 100 of those bad boys would fit between them. That sound you hear is my mind, boggling.

]]> By: Kevin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53020 Kevin Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:59:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/11/15/hubble-peers-into-the-weird-heart-of-comet-holmes/#comment-53020 Cromulent! It really is amazing what "amateur" astronomers can do these days. Cromulent!

It really is amazing what “amateur” astronomers can do these days.

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