[Errant]

I need to get a copy of Stellarium for myself.

The issue, as I see it with Linear, is the fact that it has broken up. That means there could be some large objects hiding in the dust trail, trailing the main body of debris. Since the earth is crossing through that same trail close behind this main body passage (relatively), it should mean the chances of encountering larger objects in this particular comet's dust trail are greater than normal, or of say a single body comet's trail in which the main nucleus passed months before the earth encounters its dust trail.

No model is going to be able to predict this. It's something we'll just have to wait to see if we do or don't encounter larger objects, unless of course NASA wishes to share radar returns or observations with us. Not likely of that happening if there is something coming our way and they thought it might cause a panic.

There was a comet that we watched breakup some years back (I forget the name now) which now consists of about 60 objects NASA is tracking. The pieces are presently scattered over a trail with millions of miles between the separated chunks.

Which brings up another question in my mind: Why isn't NASA putting out more detailed data on Linear? Just seems kind of strange, if you ask me.

Btw, good work on the numbers!

[Yosemitest]

I like Stellarium, the free version, and there's a $49.99 SkySafari Pro that I plan on purchasing.
Thanks, for noticing the math.

"Since the earth is crossing through that same trail close behind this main body passage (relatively),
it should mean the chances of encountering larger objects in this particular comet's dust trail are greater than normal, ...

No model is going to be able to predict this.
It's something we'll just have to wait to see if we do or don't encounter larger objects,
unless of course NASA wishes to share radar returns or observations with us.
Not likely of that happening
if there is something coming our way and they thought it might cause a panic. ...

... Why isn't NASA putting out more detailed data on Linear?
Just seems kind of strange, if you ask me. "

I agree.
My mother talks of an event in the 40s or 50s of watching many shooting stars, 100s at a time, when she was a little girl, one night.
But she can't remember what Comet it was associated with.

The Figure 2 Chart on page 5 of that .pdf probably shows more information about the cumulative threat from all those different Comet 209P/Linear Orbital Passes through time, that we'll go through.
I can only assume that it shows only the level of the Earth's Orbital Plane as it intersects with all those combined Comet trails, and where their model predicted the debris to be.
I also assume that its cross-section is a top-down view from 209P/Linear's trailing tail being blown out from the Sun, even though Linear is traveling at a slight angle as it crosses below Earth;s Orbital Plane.