Comments on: Comet 8P/Tuttle

By: Navneeth

Navneeth — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:39:32 +0000

I never knew about this comet! Drat! Thanks for the post, BA.

Oh, BTW, I caught you on TV for the first time, yesterday. It was a programme about Mars, and the last few moments were about the face on Mars. Before I could react, you gave your final opinion and vanished! (It was on National Geographic(non-US).)

By: StevoR

StevoR — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:57:26 +0000

SIGH

One of my pet peeves with ..well this … is the lack of editing capability so when my spacebar doesn’t work and my mind types better than my fingers I get what I’ve written badly above rather than what Imeant which follows here :

—————-

Why use the numbers and not keep it simple and clear with just the discoverers name like Halley’s comet …

One of my pet peeves in astronomy which I think makes it harder for the general public to understand and appreciate the work of astronomers is this numerical catalogue “naming” of things.

What’s wrong with plain old Tuttle’s comet or Comet Tuttle?

—————-

Please BA, please let us edit these posts! Its drives me (more) nuts that I can’t …

By: StevoR

StevoR — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:53:11 +0000

BTW. Any one else recognise the “Gods Must be Crazy” film ref there …

It ain’t swearing, not really, just some emphasising exclaimation along Ned Flanders~esque lines ..

By: StevoR

StevoR — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:51:18 +0000

Why use the numbers and not keep it simple and clear with just the discoverers name liek Halley’s comet …

One of mypet peeves inastronomy whichIthink make sitharder forthegeneral public tounderstand and appreciate the work of astronomers is this numerical catalogue “naming” of things.

Whats it called & how do we prounounce it :

“eight slash Pee Tuttle … Or eight pee Tuttle or Periodic comet 8 Tuittle .. ?”

Or, a-ya-yii-ya-yii-ya, what’s wrong with just plain old Comet Tuttle or Tuttle’s comet?

I mean really!

Minor point – but it helps with communication & science needs to communicate with people I think ..
..

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:37:19 +0000

Cloudy here unfortunately so haven’t had a chance to look yet. I normally take a picnic rug out and lie on my back with the binos. It’s great, just let them rest on your eyes and they’re incredibly stable and comfortable.

By: Michael Amato

Michael Amato — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:05:30 +0000

I finally got a glimpse of Comet 8P/Tuttle this evening with my 10X50 binoculars. It looked like a greenish smudge to me. I saw no tail.

By: erika

erika — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:37:30 +0000

I hate our skies here in the city every 6pm to 8pm. It’s always highly light polluted, hazy and covered with thick clouds. This will make Comet Tuttle hard to observe. Nevertheless, I went out last night to try my luck but nah…I only saw Mars & again big thick clouds. I’m going to try again later this evening. I hope this time…skies will clear up for me, hehe .

By: Evolving Squid

Evolving Squid — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:36:52 +0000

If I could imagine that the sky might ever clear here this winter, I might imagine that I could see this comet.

Unfortunately, more snow coming today… ugh.

I guess I could build my own comet out of dirt and snow. Then I just have to figure out how to get it into orbit.

By: Michael Lonergan

Michael Lonergan — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:47:10 +0000

Ahhh, BA, nice to see a man dedicated to his job. So is that how you celebrated the New Year? You know, some went out and celebrated other ways. They woke up this morning seeing stars of another kind….

By: John Armstrong

John Armstrong — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:16:01 +0000

I saw it last night from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain in MD. Once I’d spied it in the binoculars I could make it out without them as long as the flashlights were off or pointed the other way.