[blam]

This comet is the size of Jupiter. Could this thing cause problems on earth? (volcanos/earthquakes?)

[blam]

Check in with your comments please.

[foolscap]

OH NO, IT'S PLANET X!!!

[Redcloak]

This comet is the size of Jupiter.

Uh... No. I don't think so. If that were the case, the Earth would no longer be in its orbit.

[First_Salute]

Maybe bigger; it's enormous.

[RobRoy]

I'd love to hear some Real Gas Music from Jupiter!

[Shermy]

?

[Timm]

I'm kind of busy this week. I'll catch this thing the next time it comes by.

[RightWhale]

This comet is the size of Jupiter

Maybe measuring the entire of the length of the tail, which could equal the diameter of Jupiter. But nothing significant as far as the mass is concerned.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"Calculations show it has passed through the inner Solar System once before but this was 37,000 years ago."

---

We should asked Strom Thurmond if the comet has changed much since its last visit. : )

[e_engineer]

The comet may appear to be the size of Jupiter in the sky, but if the nucleus was actually Jupiter sized, its gravity would prevent the loss of gas and dust that forms the tail. In other words it would develop an atmosphere as it approached the Sun rather than a tail.

It would be interesting if Mercury and/or Venus are in position to intercept part of this comets tail. If so, we may get to witness the phenomena that produced our oceans.

[Pablo64]

Man, I'm glad I got to see these pics. I missed it the last time it came by. ;-?

[GreenHornet]

"Calculations show it has passed through the inner Solar System once before but this was 37, 000 years ago."

It's back already?.....Gee, it seems like it was just here a few months ago!

[First_Salute]

At Gary W. Kronk's Cometography (click on the pic)

Copyright © 2003 by Ginger Mayfield (Colorado)

This image was obtained by Ginger Mayfield (Colorado) on 2003 February 10. It is an unguided 8-second exposure obtained with a Canon D60 digital SLR on a tripod. The outside temperature was then -3° F.

[Cool Guy]

Size is different from MASS.

[TomServo]

If you have a ping list, I'd appreciate being added to it, Blam.

TIA!!

[lawdude]

"The comet is putting on a spectacular show Calculations show it has passed through the inner Solar System once before but this was 37, 000 years ago. "

Ask Helen Thomas what it was like the first time around!

[Centurion2000]

To put a coma out the size of jupiter means that the nucleus of this thing must be huge .... on the order of a small moon.

This almost reminds me of the scenarion from Moonfall.

Either way it could provide an awesome light show if it hit the moon ... and maybe wake people up that we are in the cosmic equivalent of a shooting gallery.

As far as pushing Earth from its orbit it would have to do a close fly-by maybe even inside the Roche limit.

[HighWheeler]

"On Nov. 6, 2002 the NEAT-team found a new comet near the border of the constellations Taurus/Orion. Comet C/2002 V1 (NEAT) was of magnitude 16 and showed a 0.4' coma and a tail of 0.4' length towards p.a. 250°. According to the current elements this comet will come as close as 0.1 AU to the sun on Feb. 18, 2003 (IAUC 8010/11). However, it is very uncertain whether this comet will survive this close encounter, because its absolute magnitude of about 11.5m is well below a "survivance" limit defined by an empiric analysis of John Bortle. Nevertheless, assuming the case of an average brightness evolution it could attain a maximum brightness of 1-2m at perihelion, displaying a 5° tail. However, during those days the elongation will only be 6°. In this scenario it would be brighter than 10m from the end of January to the beginning of March, brighter than 6m from about Feb. 12 to 23. For mid-European observers the comet would get out of view around Feb. 10, if a solar depression of only 12° is assumed. But again, this scenario will only come true if the brightness evolution will be average. Even in this very optimistic scenario the comet will remain a telescopic object for mid-Europeans."

[LibWhacker]

Here's a nice little series (I'm series!). Grab your scroll bar and pull it up rather rapidly and you can watch as the comet makes its way around the sun to begin its journey on the outbound leg. Gee whiz, last time this baby made an appearance, Neanderthal had just died off. Wonder what Earth will be like next time it comes this way?

[SunkenCiv]

Please note, a three year old topic.