Posted on 10/19/2023 10:35:38 AM PDT by Red Badger
Scientists are reporting that a “horned” comet three times bigger than Mount Everest is hurtling toward Earth after encountering a large explosion.
The blast originated on October 5 from 12P/Pons-Brooks a cryovolcanic — or cold volcano — comet.
According to Live Science, the comet, nicknamed the “Devil” due to its apparent horns, measures a colossal 18.6 miles in diameter, or the size of a small city.
For reference, Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, is about 5.5 miles high.
This marked the second time this interstellar ice cube erupted in the last four months.
The Science Times reports that the last celestial event occurred in July.
The British Astronomical Association, which is closely monitoring 12P, identified this explosion after noticing that it appeared dozens of times brighter.
The extra light was caused by reflections by the cloud of gas surrounding its center, known as the coma.
For the uninitiated, such eruptions occur when a large level of gas and ice amasses and combusts like a frozen soda can.
The eruptions cause the comet’s frosty insides to burst out of large cracks that form in the nucleus crust.
In this instance, the arctic blast caused the coma to sprout “Devil horns,” as seen in accompanying photos.
Scientists also compared the satanic shape to the Millennium Falcon spaceship from “Star Wars,” Space Weather Archive reported.
The cause of the horns is unclear, however, experts believe that it could be caused by the shape of 12P’s nucleus — à la an interstellar pasta strainer.
“The two ‘horns’ may be caused by a peculiarly-shaped cryovolcanic vent with some sort of blockage causing material to be expelled with a weird flow pattern,” said Richard Miles of the British Astronomical Association.
Despite 12P’s ominous trajectory and shape, there’s no need to brace for “Deep Impact” just yet.
The celestial hailstone — which orbits around the sun every 71 years — won’t reach its closest point to Earth until 2024.
When it passes by Earth next year, it will become visible to the naked eye.
This comet will then be catapulted back into the solar system and won’t be again by humans until the year 2095.
This is 12P’s second explosion since July 20, when the interstellar snowball blew its stack for the first time in 69 years.
During this eruption, the horn-like emissions were 7,000 times wider than the comet itself.
The coma has since shrunk back to its regular size but could attract more interest next year if it continues to explode — which will likely be the case, per Space Weather Archive.
First discovered by Jean-Louis Pons on July 12, 1812, 12P is reportedly one of 20 known comets with active ice volcanoes, Miles claims.
Perhaps the most famous is 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, a volcanically active body that expelled approximately 1 million tons of cryomagma into space this past December, marking its largest eruption in 12 years.
Hot Fudge Sundae falls on a Tuesdae next year...
The Great Reset
So, the danger is the second flyby in 2095?
Well. at least it will be the problem of one of moochelle’s descendants to solve...
Poor moochelle, although having served sine 2024 as President-for-Life, will be out of the picture by 2095...
Don’t look up!
I plan to shoot myself out of a cannon just as it hits the earth and then safely parachute back down.
Hot fudge Sunday falls on Tuesday.
Who had ‘satanic meteor’ for the next panic attack?
The Giant Meteors that intellectuals
Kept telling me About!
We had a Good Run.
Learned a new one today thanks!
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=smod
“Crap, and just when it looks like the Lions have a shot at winning the Super Bowl.”
I’m tellin ya, someone on the team needs to break his leg to save the planet.
Someone been reading the Book of Revelation too much?
Trying to work John’s language into the story, I guess.
Comets are known to break apart sometimes. Not all the pieces travel together................
***
Well, there WAS Shoemaker-Levy 9, that broke apart, and the pieces of it hit Jupiter, back in 1994.
Honestly the universe is SUCH a tease.
However, I am partial to the Burning City series.
Jupiter’s extreme gravity tore it apart, but the pieces strung out and hit Jupiter at different times and locations.
Also, a comet’s trajectory could be altered by the force of the jets of material streaming out at odd angles................
Those were OK, but my favorite Niven and Pournelle books are probably Lucifer’s Hammer, then Mote in God’s Eye, then Footfall. They could have skipped the Mote sequel.
Bummer.
Mail-in ballots will be our only salvation.
I tried to watch it, but got so confused, my cellphone cracked, saw myself in a mirror... nah, I watched the “Coherence - explained” and it was even more confusing. I’ll get drunk over the weekend,do some Ketamine and watch it. That’ll work!
I loved the multi-level satire in Burning City. Kind of like a Gulliver's Travels for the modern USA.
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