Astronomers Have Spotted An Interstellar Comet Flying Toward Earth (cnet.com) 49
A comet first spotted by a Ukrainian amateur astronomer looks to be just the second known object to visit our cosmic neighborhood from beyond the solar system. What could be an even bigger deal is the fact that this one was discovered as it's still approaching us. CNET reports: The comet was found by Gennady Borisov of Crimea on Aug. 30, and went by the temporary name GB00234 until very recently. After being watched by several other observatories over the past few weeks, it was given the official name of C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) by the Minor Planet Center on Wednesday. From the start, the orbit of the comet seemed unusual: It appeared to follow a so-called hyperbolic trajectory, which means it does not orbit the sun and probably originates from far beyond our solar system. This comet is still inbound, and will not reach perihelion (its closest pass by the sun) until Dec. 10. Hopefully that will give scientists ample time to study it, a luxury we didn't have with Oumuamua. And no, there doesn't appear to be any risk that the comet will collide with Earth.
To all nay-sayers (Score:5, Funny)
To everyone who is upset about Russia annexing Crimea: Name just three asteroids the Crimeans discovered when they belonged to Ukraine. Go ahead, I'll wait.
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To everyone who is upset about Russia annexing Crimea: Name just three asteroids the Crimeans discovered when they belonged to Ukraine. Go ahead, I'll wait.
Don't worry he will be sanctioned promptly. Have you seen his kit? They are supposed to be suffering there, not being able to afford high end gear with potential dual use with which you can see all those satellites we have pointed at them.
I had a look at his youtube stuff (all in Russian, no "village accent" by the way) and interviews (all in Russian too). https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com] . I wish I had the spare money to afford the gear he has as well as the time to do all the DIY which he has bolted on
Re:To all nay-sayers (Score:4, Funny)
To everyone who is upset about Russia annexing Crimea: Name just three asteroids the Crimeans discovered when they belonged to Ukraine. Go ahead, I'll wait.
Does MH17 count?
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To everyone who is upset about Russia annexing Crimea: Name just three asteroids the Crimeans discovered when they belonged to Ukraine. Go ahead, I'll wait.
Does MH17 count?
That was after annexing. You probably mean Siberia Airlines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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To everyone who is upset about Russia annexing Crimea
Russia didn't annex Crimea for its astronomers . . . they did it for the Crimean Champagne [wikipedia.org]
Or in English: Sovetskoye Shampanskoye [wikipedia.org]
The astronomers came as an extra . . . kinda sorta like when you get the spiral slicer when you buy the Ginsu knife.
Now an interesting English language question: "What do you call something that you don't want and don't need that you get in addition when you buy something that you really do want" . . . ?
Re:To all nay-sayers (Score:4, Informative)
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Sharpie time (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Sharpie time (Score:5, Insightful)
FLYING TOWARDS EARTH
unless it's actually flying towards Earth. I think it's accepted that 'flying towards' a thing means it's going to hit 'the thing' in the immediate future.
For example: 'That cricket ball is flying towards your head'. Or. 'That errant piece of industrial debris is flying towards your windscreen'.
Etc.
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You're leaving out the vast distance involved here. If the cricket ball is flying toward your head, then we're talking about something about the size of each hair follicle on that head, and being that cricket balls are made of cork, one of the air-pockets inside that cork represent the comet. The chances of that air pocket hitting that hair follicle is very, very, very small, but it's hardly wrong to say that it's not flying towards it.
It's EXTREMELY difficult to pin-point the exact location of where the
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Whatever. It gets only as close as 1.86 AU on Dec. 28.
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When I was in the US Navy, we traced all radar contacts out to 20 or so miles (horizon distance from our radar's height to upper part of an average ship). All such contacts were classified as approaching until they passed their Closest Point of Approach (assuming we and they were both on steady courses), regardless of how far that CPA was.
So yes, approaching.
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You've hit on why Russia gobbled the Crimea. Putin was sitting around with his sycophants and they were looking at the map of Russia. One of them mentioned that the proles thought Putin had...small hands...almost as small as some other alleged world leader. Putin pulled out his sharpie and increased the area a bit. The sycophants looked at each other and decided they'd better make it correct or their payments from the Russian treasury would be in jeopardy.
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With a little help from a sharpie can elevate the excitement
People in Alabama need to watch out- that comet is heading right for them!
samples? (Score:2)
Right (Score:5, Funny)
"there doesn't appear to be any risk that the comet will collide with Earth."
Famous last words.
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well, until it changes course.
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And starts slowing down...
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This story leaves out the most important part. One we know for a fact, from direct empirical evidence, is more important than any comet, or indeed humanity landing on a comet. The unaddressed question, the elephant in the room, is: What kind of shirt was the spokesman wearing when he made the announcement?
The spokesman was Jake from State Farm, and we all know what he was wearing.
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He lives in Ukraine, so why not?
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It is coming right at us? (Score:2)
Are they trying to make an excuse for shooting an endangered comet?
why should we care (Score:2)
Too late... (Score:2)
Vote "Comet hits Earth: Extinction Event" in 2020!
Ramans do everything in threes (Score:5, Funny)
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That's my sister (Score:1)
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Oh yes, now you gave the alleged Administration another excuse for the Great White Wall: Look'ee 'ere folks, it will be such a hugely wall it will even protect you from Alien Comets. Shame on you.
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That would be such a hoot if the Aliens turn out to be Albinos i.e. Whiter than the whitest racist?
Giant Meteor 2020 (Score:1)
I was hoping my candidate might be getting ready for his campaign launch announcement...but, it looks like it was just passing by.
Special warning (Score:3)
Where are the Star Blazers references? (Score:2)
In the year 2201, a new danger threatens the Earth! From out of the depths of space comes the deadly Comet Empire, a massive machine of destruction and conquest. Responding to a mysterious message of warning, the crew of Yamato blasts off to investigate the threat and they are quickly drawn into a conflict even greater than the war with Gamilas. To make matters worse, the defeated Gamilas leader Dessler prowls the galaxy on a quest for vengeance.
More impressive ... (Score:5, Informative)
More impressive is that it was discovered by someone who made his own telescope [skyandtelescope.com] with a whopping 65 cm aperture! That is over 24 inches.
This is not his first comet discovery, he has another comet named after him. The article contains a picture of Borisov and his latest scope.
The Vogons... (Score:3, Funny)
That last one was the environmental survey. This one's the construction survey. The third one will have the right of way agents. After that ...
Then stop wording healines that way, damnit! (Score:2)
Yet the headline says "..Flying Toward Earth". Stop with the clickbait headlines.
I hope it's shaped like something fun (Score:1)
not saying its aliens but... (Score:2)
The Oumuamuans are back! And this time they mean business. What if it looks exactly the same as Oumuamua in every way?
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We don't know much about how O looked, just that it apparently was very elongated.
Chances of collision? (Score:2)
And no, there doesn't appear to be any risk that the comet will collide with Earth.
First it is one in a million. Then it is one in a thousand. Then it is one in one hundred. Then it is one in ten. And then we are living in a Niven-Pournelle novel.
Hyperbolic Headline (Score:2)