The place for all your cometacious conversation.

What’s a ‘comet year’ and what does ‘photometric age’ mean?

OCDC said:

The place for all your cometacious conversation.

Oh dear wait till jennajones finds this thread, there’ll be trouble.

Skeptic Pete said:

OCDC said:

The place for all your cometacious conversation.

Oh dear wait till jennajones finds this thread, there’ll be trouble.

Is she still around?

I had no idea Giotto A) survived the Halley encounter and B) was reactivated to flyby another comet in 1992.

May as well stick this in here, since I have comets on the brain.

Reading about the P-Tr extinction event. Is it possible that a comet grazed the Earth, releasing gases from itself to create an anoxic environment, thereby instigating the Great Dying? Or at least, changing the climate severely enough to do the same?

BTW, Rosetta is cool as merry frick.

In May 2014, the Rosetta craft will enter a slow orbit around the comet and gradually slow down in preparation for releasing a lander that will make contact with the comet itself. The lander, named “Philae”, will approach Churyumov–Gerasimenko at relative speed around 1 m/s and on contact with the surface, two harpoons will be fired into the comet to prevent the lander from bouncing off. Additional drills are used to further secure the lander on the comet.

Once attached to the comet, expected to take place in November 2014, the lander will begin its science mission:

Characterisation of the nucleus Determination of the chemical compounds present, including enantiomers Study of comet activities and developments over time

The exact surface layout of the comet is currently unknown and the orbiter has been built to map this before detaching the lander. It is anticipated that a suitable landing site can be found, although few specific details exist regarding the surface.

So when are we expected to be able to see it?

Fee said:

So when are we expected to be able to see it?

No one knows my Lord, no one.

I didn’t see any comets in my quest to see Orionids. Nor did I see any Orionids :-(

OCDC said:

I didn’t see any comets in my quest to see Orionids. Nor did I see any Orionids :-(

knees to your chest, then the Orionids become visible ..

Dropbear said:

OCDC said:

I didn’t see any comets in my quest to see Orionids. Nor did I see any Orionids :-(

knees to your chest, then the Orionids become visible ..

Don’t know if they are visible this near the equator.

Ah well, try for the Leonids.

Tamb said:

Dropbear said:

OCDC said:

I didn’t see any comets in my quest to see Orionids. Nor did I see any Orionids :-(

knees to your chest, then the Orionids become visible ..

Don’t know if they are visible this near the equator.

giggles

Tamb said:

Dropbear said:

OCDC said:

I didn’t see any comets in my quest to see Orionids. Nor did I see any Orionids :-(

knees to your chest, then the Orionids become visible ..

Don’t know if they are visible this near the equator.

These were supposed to be. Orion was high above the horizon, and I think I worked out I could see to mag 4 despite the street-lights and hospital lights. I only had the opportunity a few nights before the forecast peak.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/11/01/3880970.htm

I might give it a go at 4 am tomorrow.

party_pants said:

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/11/01/3880970.htm

I might give it a go at 4 am tomorrow.

Jealous? Yes I am….

It was cloudy. Didn’t see a thing.

party_pants said:

It was cloudy. Didn’t see a thing.

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

ullo

Skeptic Pete said:

ullo

You started many a thread for jennajones back in the day. LOL I remember.

All SP

party_pants said:

It was cloudy. Didn’t see a thing.

Not even clouds?

So this thing is a dud then.

too early to tell…

So this thing is a dud then.

you really need to be in the hemisphere that the south end of a magnetic needle points to. to get the better view.

One of the best snaps of Ison so far, very pretty:

What magnitude is ISON at the mo?

Divine Angel said:

What magnitude is ISON at the mo?

Don’t know, but apparently it’s a faint naked eye object in the Northern hemisphere. I haven’t tried to find it yet. I’ll see if I can get up at the right time tomorrow morning and a have a squint.

5.2 according to heavens above DA (18th)

Danke.

Bubblecar said:

One of the best snaps of Ison so far, very pretty:

Christ! That’s awesome.

I got up at 4 am today to have a look-see but it was already a bit too light to see it. I had a go with the binoculars and couldn’t see anything, I was too tired to bother with getting the scope out that time of the morning.

Looks like we’re missing all the fun in the southern hemisphere.

Bubblecar said:

Divine Angel said:

What magnitude is ISON at the mo?

Don’t know, but apparently it’s a faint naked eye object in the Northern hemisphere. I haven’t tried to find it yet. I’ll see if I can get up at the right time tomorrow morning and a have a squint.

…I don’t hold out much hope because of my cluttered eastern horizon.

Bubblecar said:

…I don’t hold out much hope because of my cluttered eastern horizon.

I’d have to drive to the beach to see it. It’s not far, only about 10 mins. However my motivation to get up that early is non-existent.

That photo was taken in England by Damian Peach:

http://www.channel4.com/news/comet-ison-full-moon-astronomy-royal-observatory-hubble

party_pants said:

Looks like we’re missing all the fun in the southern hemisphere.

Pretty much, yeah.

Bubblecar said:

Bubblecar said:

Divine Angel said:

What magnitude is ISON at the mo?

Don’t know, but apparently it’s a faint naked eye object in the Northern hemisphere. I haven’t tried to find it yet. I’ll see if I can get up at the right time tomorrow morning and a have a squint.

…I don’t hold out much hope because of my cluttered eastern horizon.

Try looking to the Northwest then. That’s where the comet will be visible.

>Try looking to the Northwest then. That’s where the comet will be visible.

Not in the morning it won’t. It’s very close to the sun.

>As discussed in a previous post, once the comet has made perihelion passage (perihelion is its closest point to the Sun), from the Southern Hemisphere it will be below the horizon both in the morning and evening sky. Our best chance to observe the comet with binoculars or the unaided eye is early in the morning before dawn in late November.

A site with a good view of the eastern horizon without obscuration by trees or houses will need to be chosen as the comet will be low in the sky. Dark spots overlooking the ocean could provide suitable viewing spots for Sydneysiders while the western shore of Port Phillip Bay maybe suitable for those in Melbourne. It should be noted though that a waning gibbous Moon will be in the sky at the same time as the comet and may make viewing its faint tail difficult.<

http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/2013/comet-ison-from-the-southern-hemisphere/

There are in fact two comets that are now (just barely) visible to the naked eye.

C/2012 S1 ISON in Virgo

C/2013 R1 Lovejoy in Ursa Major

The latter will not be in the sky for many hours of the day for you southerners

Eastern (and some overhead) views obscured by clouds in Brisbane this morning. No comets visible.

:(

Michael V said:

Eastern (and some overhead) views obscured by clouds in Brisbane this morning. No comets visible.

:(

hasn’t been visible from here.

PMG …

In about two days, ISON has gone from 5.2 to 4.0.

Hold on to your noculars

Boo.

Should change the thread name to grey rock chat.

Mag 3.8 now but only 16 degrees sep from sun.

The weather here has been terrible for stargazing. Y’all having any luck?

dv said:

Mag 3.8 now but only 16 degrees sep from sun.

The weather here has been terrible for stargazing. Y’all having any luck?

Been too cloudy here early in the mornings :(

dv said:

Mag 3.8 now but only 16 degrees sep from sun.

The weather here has been terrible for stargazing. Y’all having any luck?

Please don’t ever say Y’all again

Sorry, I meant youse.

the book of thoth

Wouldn’t want to fly a 787 within 50 kilometres of a comet that’s for sure.

Not sure if Comet airlines ever used them

the book of thoth

dv said:

Mag 3.8 now but only 16 degrees sep from sun.

The weather here has been terrible for stargazing. Y’all having any luck?

Not really. I’ve got up at sparrow’s fart a couple of times to have a look. Only tried with the binoculars and I think I saw a faint smudge, but couldn’t be sure if it was the comet or not. Problem is that at 4 am it’s already too light to see anything but the brightest stars with the naked eye or small binoculars like mine, and I’m too tired to be setting up the telescope at that hour.

When Haley was here in 87/88 I think we got up early and had a party to watch it, we had drinks and cometstibles .
Umm, needs a bit of work.

Kingy said:

http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2013/11/24/ison_encke_nov19_22.gif

Very cool gif.