Kryptonite" Comet Making Closest Approach to Earth.. October 20th, 2010

Daily Galaxy ^ | Sept 30th, 2010

[TaraP]

A pale green interloper among the stars of Cassiopeia, Comet Hartley 2 glows like an escapee from Krypton at the center of this exposure taken on the night of Sept. 28, 2010, by NASA astronomer Bill Cooke. Still too faint to be seen with the unaided eye, the comet was 18 million miles away from Earth at the time. Cooke took this image using a telescope located near Mayhill, N.M., which he controlled via the Internet from his home computer.

"Before mid-October, Northern Hemisphere observers will be able to see the comet nearly all night long in the northeast," Cook told National Geographic. "After mid-October it can be seen as early as 11:30 p.m. [local time] but is best just before dawn." Starting in late November observers in the Southern Hemisphere will have a good view of the comet as it heads away from Earth, Cook added

In 2007 the comet became the primary target for a NASA spacecraft called Deep Impact. That probe's first mission had been to launch a projectile into comet Temple 1 in 2005, kicking up a plume of ice and dust so that astronomers could study the comet's composition. After that mission ended, the Deep Impact "mothership" still had enough fuel for followup experiments, so NASA redirected the probe for an encounter with comet Hartley 2. UPDATE FROM SPACEWEATHER: APPROACHING COMET: Green comet 103P/Hartley 2 is approaching Earth for a close encounter on Oct. 20th. At that time, the comet will be only 11 million miles from Earth and should be dimly visible to the naked eye from dark sky sites. It already looks great through backyard telescopes. Italian amateur astronomer Toni Scarmato took this picture on Sept. 29th using a 10-inch reflector: http://www.spaceweather.com/

[TaraP]

Before mid-October, Northern Hemisphere observers will be able to see the comet nearly all night long in the northeast," Cook told National Geographic. "After mid-October it can be seen as early as 11:30 p.m. [local time] but is best just before dawn."

[Red Badger]

I like Hartley, too............

[TaraP]

Comet Hartley 2 is now on the way to a close flyby of the Earth. This image showed it on sep. 20 UT 1.57,taken with 10"/3.8 and CCD (KAF 6303) RGB 210/270/270 seconds

[theDentist]

it’s a big sky so; any idea which direction to be looking, any particular constellation? thx

[FrankR]

Paging algore, paging algore...please pick up the white courtesy phone....

[TaraP]

Comet 103P/Hartley 2, a small periodic comet, was discovered in 1986 by Malcolm Hartley, an Australian astronomer. It orbits the sun about every 6.5 years, and on Oct. 20, the comet will make its closest approach to Earth since its discovery. In this case, "close" means 11 million miles, or 17.7 million kilometers. A moonless sky will make for promising viewing conditions in the northeastern skies, especially just before dawn

[WayneS]

Kryptonite" Comet Making Closest Approach to Earth.. ...Superman in Hiding

[RexBeach]

Has anyone told “The Man of Steel”?

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Lots of great viewing tips at spaceweather.com

[TaraP]

Just some *Spiritual Food* for thought...

REVELATION 6:8
I looked up and saw a horse whose *color was pale green*. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

[xp38]

Fortunately we have a guide

[RexBeach]

Man, what a relief! :)

[raybbr]

REVELATION 6:8 I looked up and saw a horse whose *color was pale green*. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

Comet 103P/Hartley 2, a small periodic comet, was discovered in 1986 by Malcolm Hartley, an Australian astronomer. It orbits the sun about every 6.5 years, and on Oct. 20, the comet will make its closest approach to Earth since its discovery.

Just pointing out the "pale green horse" has "come" a few hundred times since that was written.

[dfwgator]

Jimmy Olsen’s Blues - The Spin Doctors

Well, I don’t think I can handle this
A cloudy day in Metropolis
I think I’ll talk to my analyst
I got it so bad for this little journalist

It drives me up the wall and through the roof
Lois and Clark in a telephone booth
I think I’m going out of my brain
I got it so bad for little miss Lois Lane

(Chrous)
Lois Lane please put me in your plan
Yeah, Lois Lane you don’t need no Super Man
Come on downtown and stay with me tonight
I got a pocket full of kryptonite, I
I got a pocket full of kryptonite, I
I got a pocket full of kryptonite

He’s leaping buildings in a single bound
I’m reading Shakespeare at my place downtown
Come on downtown and make love to me
I’m Jimmy Olsen not a titan, you see

He’s faster than a bullet, stronger than a train
He’s the one who got lucky, got his cape around miss Lois Lane
I can’t believe my dilemma is real
I’m competing with the man of steel

(Chorus)

Got a pocket full of...

Well, I don’t think I can handle this
A cloudy day in Metropolis
I think I’ll talk to my analyst
I got it so bad for this little journalist

[SengirV]

A moonless sky will make for promising viewing conditions in the northeastern skies, especially just before dawn

Oh well, maybe next time.

[metmom]

The Space Weather site looks good.

http://spaceweather.com/

[TaraP]

Well maybe this is the first time it is coming this close to earth? Maybe it means nothing.*OR* prophetically maybe it means something....

[IYAS9YAS]

Just pointing out the "pale green horse" has "come" a few hundred times since that was written.

Just having fun here. This was bolded in your reply: and on Oct. 20, the comet will make its closest approach to Earth since its discovery.

;-)

[Quix]

Hmmmmm.

thx thx.

I think. LOL.