Big comet plunging toward our Sun

Spaceweather.com ^ | 4-16-04 | Orlando

[Orlando]

Comet Bradfield is plunging toward the sun; at closest approach on April 17th it will be well inside the orbit of Mercury. Sun-approaching comets sometimes break-apart. Will Comet Bradfield survive? No one knows.

[EGPWS]

Comet Bradfield is plunging toward the sun; at closest approach on April 17th it will be well inside the orbit of Mercury.

Does this mean that those disgusting reruns of "Third Rock From The Sun" will no longer be shown because it is no longer a valid title?

Or (gasp) will it mean another sitcom titled "Fourth Rock From The Sun".

Alas, this thread is leading me to frustration!

[Orlando]

This is cool to watch, and it should be very interesting to see what happens later on today if it breaks up , or melts ? I am surprise the media is not reporting this event.

I would like to know the real size of this comet.
Does anybody know ?

[general_re]

We're DOOMED!

Dammit, I filed my tax returns for no reason.

[HighWheeler]

"The comet will be assimilated as will all other matter orbiting the sun."

The Earth, and a few other outer planets, will be blown out into space as Sol turns into a red giant in powerful spasms that will absorb Mercury and Venus. A powerful solar wind will simultaneously blast away Earth's atmosphere, water and crust and likely blow the entire planet into space in a long stream of eroding dust. Sol will become a white dwarf.

Have a nice day. We still have about 5 billion years to go.

[KarlInOhio]

http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/Soft00Cmt.txt gives the abolute magnitude as 10.0. Looking that up in http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/lists/Sizes.html for an icy body (albedo = 0.5) gives a diameter of 19 kilometers. Lots of assumptions and uncertainty are in that estimate, but it at least will give you a general idea.

[Orlando]

Here's a better and closer image of our sun from the military.


http://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/cgi-bin/latest_img.cgi?c3+gifs

[Orlando]

Thank You

[EGPWS]

This is cool to watch, and it should be very interesting to see what happens later on today if it breaks up , or melts ?

Me thinks that it will dissolve, evaporate and nothing will ever be heard about it again.

JMHO.

Of course those d@mn reruns of "Third Rock From The Sun" will NOT follow the same course! : (

Yes it is interesting, and the thought of having the knowledge and technology to be able to even contemplate, with any sort of available accuracy, of what might happen is definitely an idea worth pondering for the, realm of space, curious.

[EGPWS]

Dammit, I filed my tax returns for no reason.

The reason will ALWAYS be there, however your "reasonable" thoughts on filing will never, ever be an issue of contemplation for the IRS!

[abner]

Too cool for words bump!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

The sky is falling!

[Robert A Cook PE]

Big?

It's hugh!

(And I'm series about this: it's gonna come back later!)

[Salamander]

Don't worry. These 3 "hapless redshirts" will be beaming down to investigate the comet first.

I'm sure they'll be just fine.....:)

[Truth666]

"I am surprise the media is not reporting this event. " - it's going to come back later !
one of the reasons why the media isn't reporting this unpredecented event.

[Straight Vermonter]

This thread has gotten excreable. LOL.

[bert]

The Earth, and a few other outer planets, will be blown out into space as Sol turns into a red giant in powerful spasms that will absorb Mercury and Venus. .....


Ok, in the event the process described above works out to be reality, then the earth will resume it's path into the maw of the black hole at the center of the galaxy on a modified course.

We are still discussing how specific molecules will travel. Earth molecules will still make that trip perhaps not as the Sol amalgamation.

[Celtic Conservative]

The comet will be assimilated as will all other matter orbiting the sun. Gravity is inexorable.

There is NO gravity, the earth sucks! :^ )

CC

[Robert A Cook PE]

" it's going to come back later !

...one of the reasons why the media isn't reporting this unpredecented event.

But you would think that at least periodicals would cover it.

[ExSoldier]

Ever read a book by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven called "Luicifer's Hammer?" This is how the book started out. It finished like Robinson Crusoe

[MissAmericanPie]

At least they won't be able to blame global warming anymore.