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Author Topic: "Biggest" Comet Measured  (Read 1596 times)

Offline sam

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"Biggest" Comet Measured
« on: April 16, 2010, 00:36 »

Quote
The Great Comet of 2007 made an even bigger impression on the solar system than anyone realized, according to a new study that measured the size of the comet's wake.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/100413-biggest-comet-size-mcnaught/
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Offline Clive

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2010, 09:17 »
Southern hemisphere observers had the best view of that comet but it was also visible here.  I thought Hyakutake was the better comet but McNaught must have been a real whopper! 
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Offline sam

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2010, 14:28 »
indeed!
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Offline Simon

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2010, 21:44 »
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Offline Clive

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2010, 23:00 »
That incoming asteroid was scary!  I once observed a similar event from my own garden when a fireball came in quite low on the horizon traveling north to south.  The colour was predominantly green and there was a smoke trail as it fragmented.  If only I had videoed it!   :bawl:
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Offline Simon

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2010, 23:58 »
You could carry a videocam around all your life and never capture something like that.
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Offline sam

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2010, 05:17 »
Quote from: Simon on April 16, 2010, 23:58
You could carry a videocam around all your life and never capture something like that.


well as mobile phone cameras improve in quality soon you will be.
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Offline Clive

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2010, 13:04 »
I wouldn't even had chance to turn it on and point it Sam.  It was pure luck that Mercury happened to be visible at the time and I was in the garden looking at it when the fireball appeared. It was probably visible for 3 seconds maximum.
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Offline Simon

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2010, 13:44 »
Quote from: sam on April 17, 2010, 05:17

well as mobile phone cameras improve in quality soon you will be.

True.
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Offline sam

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2010, 15:35 »
Quote from: Clive on April 17, 2010, 13:04
I wouldn't even had chance to turn it on and point it Sam.  It was pure luck that Mercury happened to be visible at the time and I was in the garden looking at it when the fireball appeared. It was probably visible for 3 seconds maximum.

oh I see - yeah these darn things are fast but something tells me that a 6 year old would have had your phone on recorded it and added it to you tube in the time it took you to close your mouth after seeing it.
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Offline Clive

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Re: "Biggest" Comet Measured
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2010, 18:29 »
Yes I agree!   :laugh:
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