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Approaching comet may outshine the moon
Reuters ^ | Fri Dec 28, 2012 5:28pm EST | Irene Klotz

Posted on 12/31/2012 3:58:25 AM PST by Olog-hai

A comet blazing toward Earth could outshine the full moon when it passes by at the end of next year—if it survives its close encounter with the sun.

The recently discovered object, known as comet ISON, is due to fly within 1.2 million miles (1.9 million km) from the center of the sun on Nov. 28, 2013 said astronomer Donald Yeomans, head of NASA’s Near Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

As the comet approaches, heat from the sun will vaporize ices in its body, creating what could be a spectacular tail that is visible in Earth’s night sky without telescopes or even binoculars from about October 2013 through January 2014. …

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Chit/Chat; Science
KEYWORDS: 2012s1; artyomnovichonok; astronomy; c2012s1; catastrophism; comet; comet2012s1; cometison; comets; greatcometof1680; greencomet; ison; kislovodsk; russia; vitalinevski
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Plenty of talk on here about this comet back in September. Dunno what brought it back into the news now . . .
1 posted on 12/31/2012 3:58:31 AM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

I hope its a good one.


2 posted on 12/31/2012 4:48:14 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Olog-hai
I can see the comet being bigger than the moon, that is covering more than half a degree in the sky, but I would be very worried if it were brighter
3 posted on 12/31/2012 4:56:39 AM PST by jmcenanly ("The more corrupt the state, the more laws." Tacitus, Publius Cornelius)
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To: Olog-hai

I hope a small chunk of it lands in Washington DC.


4 posted on 12/31/2012 4:57:38 AM PST by Flavious_Maximus
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To: Olog-hai

I waited all my young life in anticipation of the return of Halley’s Comet.
Hearing my mother describe seeing it when she was 10 y.o., I was more than disappointed.
Sooooo, I am going into ‘seeing is believing’ mode. Esp. with the liberal use of the word ‘could’ in the article.


5 posted on 12/31/2012 5:38:37 AM PST by Vinnie (A)
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To: Vinnie

Remember Comet Kohoutek? Also hyped to be brighter than the moon.

I actually did manage to see it with binoculars.


6 posted on 12/31/2012 6:33:40 AM PST by DManA
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To: Flavious_Maximus
I hope a small chunk of it lands in Washington DC.

+1

7 posted on 12/31/2012 6:37:20 AM PST by Clinging Bitterly (I will not comply.)
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To: DManA
Remember Comet Kohoutek?

One of the biggest Epic Fails of my childhood. The nuns at school had me all prepared for a replay of the Nativity Star. I didn't see bupkis.


8 posted on 12/31/2012 6:38:52 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Olog-hai

"OK, so I messed up the first time! This is the one!"


9 posted on 12/31/2012 6:40:26 AM PST by COBOL2Java (kak-is-toc-ra-cy: Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens. See: GOP-e)
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To: Olog-hai

A comet “blazing towards earth.” It’s a hunk of icy rock. Not a blaze near it. Come on, Reuters.


10 posted on 12/31/2012 6:40:56 AM PST by cld51860 (Oderint dum metuant)
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To: Olog-hai

Another end-of-the-world coming soon.


11 posted on 12/31/2012 6:43:19 AM PST by Fresh Wind (The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.)
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To: DManA

Yea, I thought I could see it for an instant then someone in the neighborhood turned on their porch light LOL


12 posted on 12/31/2012 6:45:45 AM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: DManA

Yes, I remember it. Took some time photos of it. Expected the pics to turn out well. I used tri-X film and tracked the comet in different times from 5 min. to 15 min.
But, we moved shortly after the event and the undeveloped rolls got lost in the shuffle. I’ll bet they would have been very good pic.


13 posted on 12/31/2012 6:54:37 AM PST by Vinnie (A)
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To: Olog-hai
The recently discovered object, known as comet ISON,

At least I can pronounce this one.

14 posted on 12/31/2012 6:57:57 AM PST by Skooz (Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us)
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To: Flavious_Maximus

a few miles diameter would be good


15 posted on 12/31/2012 7:02:08 AM PST by Democrat_media (media makes mass shooters household names to create more & take our guns)
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To: DManA

Which comet was it about 10 years ago that took up about 1/10th of the entire nighttime sky? It was huge!

I went out into the country to get away from the city lights, and I was expecting or hoping to see a tiny little comet with a little tail behind it.. but instead I look outside and the thing was huge- it was about the size of 4 widths of the full moon, at least

Pretty spectacular- but you do have to get out of the city to see it- I could not see it from my home at all


16 posted on 12/31/2012 7:03:25 AM PST by Mr. K (There are lies, dammed lies, statistics, and democrap talking points.)
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To: Olog-hai

Question..this comet is supposed to pass very near that earth..inside the orbit of some satellites............with the meld off and possible breaking off of parts on this comet. .is it orbital path still predictable or may it be altered to some degree?


17 posted on 12/31/2012 7:04:38 AM PST by tophat9000 (American is Barack Oaken)
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To: Olog-hai

Back in the day comets were seen as ill omens and portents of disasters. I figure by the end of 2013 after going off the fiscal Niagra Falls without a barrel, another year of Obama’s Marxism and Obamacare looming it will be a disaster for this country with the comet just lighting the way.


18 posted on 12/31/2012 7:05:39 AM PST by The Great RJ
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To: Olog-hai

“Before its close approach, Kohoutek was hyped by the media as the “comet of the century”. However, Kohoutek’s display was considered a let-down.”


19 posted on 12/31/2012 7:17:34 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (Best WoT news at rantburg.com)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
I had forgotten about this, Kohoutek inspired the first "TEOTWAWKI" event I lived through:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Kohoutek

In 1973, David Berg, founder of the Children of God, predicted that Comet Kohoutek foretold a colossal doomsday event in the United States in January 1974.[4][5] Children of God members distributed Berg's messages, which warned of impending doom, across the country. The majority of U.S.-based members then fled in anticipation to existing group communes (or formed new ones) around the world.

20 posted on 12/31/2012 7:22:23 AM PST by DManA
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