Posts Tagged ‘comet’
The Facts About Newly Discovered Comet ISON
Comet ISON was discovered in September 2012 by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok. They are part of a night sky survey program called the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON). The comet was named after this program.
How Earth’s Atmosphere Burns Meteors, Comets, and Other Space Debris
Outer Space is full of potentially dangerous objects – objects such as asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and even man-made satellites that pose a risk to our planet. While the vast majority of such objects are not on a path to collide with our own planet, some occasionally are. Without the protection offered by our atmosphere, meteors, comets, and other such space debris would crash into the Earth’s surface, potentially causing significant damage. So – how exactly does our atmosphere protect us?
Large Meteor Outburst Anticipated This Month!
Scientists are anticipating a large meteor outburst this month. On October 8, 2011 Earth will pass through the dust trail of the Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner which is the cause of the outburst. Meteor Watchers in the Middle East, parts of Europe and northern Africa will be best positioned for this potentially big show! Read the rest of this entry >>
Comet Shapes
I don’t know about you, but until recently, I’ve never really thought about the shape of a comet. I’m not talking about the overall shape, with the bright coma and long, beautiful tail. No, I’m talking about the nucleus – the center or core of a comet.
Comet Origins: Blame the Solar Nebula!
As we’ve discussed before, many comets are thought to exist in the Oort Cloud. Others exist in the Kuiper Belt (more about that later). I thought it would be interesting to explore the origin of the comets themselves. Where did they come from?