Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

"Cyanide-releasing green comet visible this weekend"

Options
  • 23-08-2014 9:13pm
    #1
    Hooter23
    Registered Users Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭


    "A NEW COMET displaying a vivid green colour is set to pass earth this weekend and will be visible to Irish star gazers.

    The comet, which was only discovered in March, will pass within 50 million miles of our own planet, roughly half the distance to the Sun.

    This is also about as close as our nearest neighboring planets Mars and Venus ever get.

    According to measurements taken on Wednesday, the comet is over 100,000 miles wide. This makes it fifteen times wider than Earth."

    Comet Jacques, named after its Brazilian discoverer, is made up of tenuous gas and is not expected to affect the Earth. Its trademark green colour comes from cyanide released by the comet.

    http://www.thejournal.ie/comet-jacques-ireland-st-patricks-day-weekend-1632804-Aug2014/


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Calibos
    Registered Users Posts: 7,796 ✭✭✭Calibos


    Binocular or Telescope only.


  • Options
    #3
    AndyP
    Registered Users Posts: 738 ✭✭✭AndyP


    It certainly ain't 100000 miles across, maybe a mile or two. More rubbish from the journal.


  • Options
    #4
    Hooter23
    Registered Users Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭Hooter23


    AndyP wrote: »
    It certainly ain't 100000 miles across, maybe a mile or two. More rubbish from the journal.

    I think they mean the tail of the comet....


  • Options
    #5
    Hooter23
    Registered Users Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭Hooter23


    Calibos wrote: »
    Binocular or Telescope only.

    I heard on the radio you could see it with the naked eye.


  • Options
    #6
    Red Nissan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭Red Nissan


    Hooter23 wrote: »
    I heard on the radio you could see it with the naked eye.

    Good eyes, dark area with no light pollution. Otherwise even a low powered binoculars should do.

    However, it's closest approach is in the next two night and after that it will effectively become invisible except to tracking scopes.

    Where is it?

    http://www.heavens-above.com/comet.aspx?cid=C%2F2014%20E2&lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=UCT&cul=en


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Popoutman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,363 ✭✭✭Popoutman


    AndyP wrote: »
    It certainly ain't 100000 miles across, maybe a mile or two. More rubbish from the journal.

    No, the comet as we see it is actually that wide. Certainly the nucleus is small, but it's generally regarded that the visible coma (given that it is what people can actually see) is the object that has the dimension reported.

    It's an accurate article that could have done with a little more explanation.


  • Options
    #8
    M.T. Cranium
    Registered Users Posts: 14,331 ✭✭✭✭M.T. Cranium


    Meanwhile, if you have clear skies on Saturday night, take a look to the southwest shortly after sunset and see a triangle of Saturn, Mars and the moon. They would be in this orientation:

    ........ SAT .......
    ......................MOON
    ...MARS

    Then on Sunday evening if skies are clear, you'll find that the Moon is passing very close to Saturn in this ongoing drama of the skies. The Moon will actually block our earthly view of Saturn around 9-11 p.m. from some locations to the south of Ireland.

    I'm going to try to find that comet in binoculars if I have any clear skies here in the next few days. Mostly cloudy forecasts though.


Advertisement