'Comet of the century' nears Earth

Fox News ^ | July 18, 2013 | Megan Gannon

[Black Agnes]

I haven’t read that one yet. It’s on the to do list though.

[Disambiguator]

Try this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRKZ_f67vTw

[Hot Tabasco]

more impressive that Hale-Bopp.

Bill Haley and the Hale Bopps, I remember them......

[Sopater]

Whats wrong with you??? I saw it in broad daylight just like they said we could. It was almost as bright as the sun and cast shadows at night. What rock were you living under???



Oh, is that it?

[Sopater]

Agreed! I was in SE Wyoming, not too far from where you were.

[American in Israel]

I love the two tails. Just blows the socks off of present scientific theories.

[Frapster]

Creationist.

[stormer]

How so? The multiple tails emanating from comets are well understood. The tail pointing directly away from the sun is composed of ionized gasses sublimated off the comet’s surface and propelled by subatomic particles emanating from the sun (the solar wind), and the other tails are made up of dust, rock, and ice fragments too heavy to be affected by that process. These particles are gravitationally bound and stream behind in the comet’s wake. Due to differential composition and heating on the comet’s surface, material is liberated at varying rates and locations, so given the comet’s speed and trajectory, a number of tails may fan out from the nucleus.

[stormer]

And in fact, in the picture I posted the differentiation of the tails is clear; the blue one is ionized gas (these are sometimes greenish), and the other appears redder because it is reflecting sunlight rather than being actually luminous. The other clue as to the tails’ origin is in their shape - the ionized gas is pushed straight away from the sun, while the fragmented material is in an arc.

[American in Israel]

Always two, one positive and one negative.

[Veto!]

I saw Hale Bopp over snowy fields in NOrth Idaho on a crystal clear night; it was brilliant and had a long long tail. One of the best nights of my life.

If I squinted, I could see a space cowgirl riding the comet. Yee Haw! But that’s just me wishing I could be riding thru space on my own private comet. My idea of heaven.

So here comes a new comet? It will have to be really something to compare with the glorious HB.

[RandallFlagg]

Comet Hyakutake was a better view, because it was closer. I watched it every night for nearly a month as it flew by the Earth. Hale-Bopp was smaller and brighter, but also closer to the horizon.

I saw that comet from the middle of the Indian Ocean on my ship during the month of my 26th birthday.
MAN! That was sweet!

[stormer]

No.

[stormer]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Comet_of_1744

[TN4Liberty]

I remember seeing a reference during that period to Gerald Ford as the “Kohoutek President.” I’m old enough to appreciate that joke at two levels.

[MHGinTN]

She is thinking, ‘Put down my snack you kenyan klown or I’ll cutcha!’

[Ozark Tom]

Google “comet hot fudge sundae” for answer to riddle. The novel from 1977 was my first introduction of the prepper survival of catastrophe concept. Not fighting WWZombies, but an cannibal horde derived of black gang members and organized military deserters.

[American in Israel]

You got me there, awesome picture, thanks!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Sopater, extra to APoD members.

[Bratch]

Comets are said to portend significant events for humanity.

What does this one supposedly bring?

Government grants.