16,944 days until Halley's Comet returns

RobertKK

I agree with the people who said Hale Bopp, it was mesmerising.
It has so far in my life put every other comet to shame.

Just a little Samba

What was the big one that was around for ages in the mid 90's?

Edit: Google is great, was Hale-Bopp.

conorh91

LucidLife wrote: »

Its actually been dying constantly, it expires about then but we will be long gone either way. .

It will collapse in upon itself and drag all the stars anx planets around then alright but earth will cease to exist far before that.

As the sun grows warmer slowly, very slowly it will eventually start killing certain vegetarian and thus some animals dependant on them, then slowly drain the water from the earth. But its a long process with unforseen obstacles yet to show themselves.

Gulp.

I heard doom music as I read that.

crockholm

happysunnydays wrote: »

Before that though the sun will expand and fireball the Earth. That's only billion years from now:)
....but before that again the our milky way galaxy is due to collide with another approaching galaxy, marbles fun time! That's milions of years from now and likely Earth will be destroyed
.......hundreds of thousands of years from now the night sky will look hugely different as this new galaxy approaches.
I know what you're thinking, how will we escape? Well I won't be here because I got biz with the main man but.... a huge rocket engine and biosphere will surround the Earth to turn it into organic space craft. We will then propel ourselves off into space to find a new sun. That in the tens of thousands years from now.

It is estimated that increased luminousity from the sun will make all Surface Life on Earth impossible,the atmosphere will be gone,oceans evaporated out into space,cosmic/solar rays bombarding the Surface-it will be a dead planet by then (unless we can change it's fate).




As for when Andromeda and it's smaller satelite Galaxies collide with the Milky Way (couple of billion years time),round our neck of the Woods it would be as likely one pea hitting Another pea in a Square mile (not likely). Doubtless it would happen near the centre of the Galaxies,but the fun would be to Watch the dance of the 2 super-massive black holes Before the join/the bigger one cannibalizes the smaller one.

I read Before also that people shouldnt get their hopes up to see Andromeda taking up the whole night/daytime sky as once it gets closer its visible individual stars will just take their Place in the night sky.

Mint Aero

http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?p0=78&iso=20610728T00

Thought this might help people keep track.

Lapin

Nim wrote: »

In around 5 billion years, our sun will begin to die.

[QUOTE=LucidLife;94604129]Its actually been dying constantly..... [/QUOTE]

I thought as much lately.

Every day for the last four months has been dull and miserable.

As for Halley's thing. I remember it being on the news and The Sky at Night with the late, great Patrick Moore at the time. We didn't get a right look at it from this side of the world and it was all a bit of a let down really.

I remember Moore saying it mightn't be much better next time out and thinking to myself, what a bummer

I remember staying up to watch the space probe the European Space Agency sent up to intercept with the comet. An oil drum shaped yoke called Giotto with lots of bits and bobs and ariels and things attached to it, all developed in different countries. It was quite exciting. My first time seeing something actually going on up there apart from clips of astronauts doing backflips and eating biscuits suspended in front of them on 321 Countdown.

From memory, the Irish made gizmo on the probe was a thingy to gauge differing temperatures on the comet and send the records back to earth. It was apparently one of the most successful experimental pieces of equipment on board by some accounts.

Not sure how true that is though. 'Twas a long time ago and I was only a nipper watching Leo Enright getting excited.

WoollyRedHat

It's been seven hours and 8795 days since you went away.
I go out every night and sleep all day
Since you took your love away
Since you been gone I can do whatever I want
But nothing.. nothing compares to you

Like a bird without a song
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me baby where did I go wrong

I could put my telescope at every comet I see
But they'd only remind me of you

I said maybe, you are gonna be the one that saves me.