Posted on 11/18/2013 7:07:30 PM PST by BenLurkin
Comet ISON could break up into itty-bitty pieces long before it gets closer to the Sun, selfishly denying us all the opportunity to see it shine brightly in the night sky.
The comet is currently visible in the predawn sky, but it may not be there for long if astroboffins from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and the Astronomical Institute at Ludwig Maximilian University are right.
In a post on the International Astronomical Union's Comets and Asteroids Facebook page, the scientists reported spotting "wings" coming from the comet, which may suggest that the nucleus has broken up.
"The coma wings suggest the presence of two or more sub-nuclei with individual expanding atmospheres in the overall cometary coma and may indicate nucleus splitting in the comet," they said.
(Excerpt) Read more at theregister.co.uk ...
>> “The coma wings suggest the presence of two or more sub-nuclei with individual expanding atmospheres in the overall cometary coma and may indicate nucleus splitting in the comet,” they said.
Sounds like astroboffin talk all right.
Wonder what it means.
Means the comet has already split, probably. Tails are coming from two separate objects rather than just the one.
No comet of the century.
It means the comet is showing signs of getting ready to split into two or more smaller pieces; that it may even already be splitting.
It’s gonna blow.
A Progressive comet. Should have named it 0bama.
She’s breaking up.
Is this the one which is supposed to be brightening right now, and become the comet of a lifetime?
We should know soon enough.
I should have known better than to believe the hype about this being such a bright comet. I was around in ‘73 when Comet Kohoutek was found and deemed “The Comet of the Century”. All hype. It to was a dud.
I’ve got $100 that says ISON will NOT hit Erath.
Or Earth, either.
I won’t take the Earth bet...Erath, maybe. :)
Gentlemen, we can rebuild her. Better than she was before. Better. Stronger. Faster.
As much as I would like to see it, I am not getting up at 5AM to see this thing.
We have the technology.
All will be well... unless ISON meets... the Sasquatch comet.
Well, I care about that sort of thing, anyhows.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.