Posted on 09/28/2013 1:25:09 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Sunlight beating down on the comet’s nucleus (core) vaporizes dust-impregnated ice to form a cloud or coma, a temporary atmosphere of water vapor, dust, carbon dioxide, ammonia and other gases. Once liberated , the tenuous haze of comet stuff rapidly expands into a huge spherical cloud centered on the nucleus. Comas are typically hundreds of thousands of miles across but are so rarified you could wave your hand through one and not feel a thing. The Great Comet of 1811 sported one some 864,000 miles (1.4 million km) across, nearly the same diameter as the sun!
Among the materials released by solar heating are cyanogen and diatomic carbon. Both are colorless gases that fluoresce a delicious candy-apple green when excited by energetic ultraviolet light in sunlight.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
It’s just seeking a federal grant.
I read that article three times and I still don’t know where to look and even if I can see it from my house
Thanks BenLurkin, extra to APoD.
Right now, near Mars. It’s heading for the Sun fast.
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