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Comet Elenin Self-Destructs
skyandtelescope.com ^ | August 30, 2011 | Kelly Beatty

Posted on 09/01/2011 9:37:50 AM PDT by BenLurkin

Whenever astronomers discover a comet headed inbound toward a close encounter the Sun, there's always buzz among observers about how bright it might get. That was certainly the case last December, when Comet Elenin (C/2010 X1) made its debut. Many hoped it would become easily visible to the unaided eye as it rounded perihelion nine months later.

By April, that initial enthusiasm had waned a bit, as it became clear that Comet Elenin was small and intrinsically faint.

The keys to its peak visibility were the closeness it would eventually have to the Sun on September 10th (0.48 astronomical unit, about 45 million miles) and to Earth in mid-October (0.23 a.u.). In fact, amateur observations through July and early August suggested that this interloper might even be ahead of schedule, brightness-wise. The hearts of comet observers everywhere raced a little faster.

Now all bets are off. Within the past week the comet's brightness has declined by 50%, dropping a half magnitude between August 19th and 20th, according to Australian observer Michael Mattiazzo. (The comet's current location in western Virgo makes it virtually unobservable from northern latitudes.)

(Excerpt) Read more at skyandtelescope.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catastrophism; comet; cometelenin; elenin; nexttimeforsure
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To: dirtboy

Here’s a comment which protrays the attitude I see in kooksville all the time:

“You know it’s so funny that the closer this thing gets, the more people are trying to dissuade everyone from worrying about it. I mean, if it has just “self-destructed”, I guess all the money spent on the bunkers, FEMA drills and stored food has gone to waste, huh? Sorry, but I call b.s.”


First they were saying that astromners were ignoring elenin because they wanted to hide something. Now it is proff Elenin is dangerous because astromners are telling them elenin is nothing to worry about. So, no matter what attention any professional gives to them or does not give them, it proves elenin is absolutely dangerous.

The other thing the commet teaches us is that an overabundance of Homeland inSecurity drills to prepare for every possible disaster they can conjure, in order to justify their cost to Congress and spend their flood of money is contrary to all common sense. This crazy DHS spending that results from being flooded with disaster money from Congress to drill and prepare for every possible disaster under the sun, is wierd as heck.

These people in kookville don’t know how the government works with special interests to build empires, so they try to explain the insanity of Homeland inSecurity on hidden danger and evil. Right now it is Planet X and comet Elenin that attempts to explain the government’s dive off the deep end.

DHS is scaring the hell out of people who are not equipped to understand how the money game is played by pork politicians, agencies and their contractors (special interests) in DC. They think FEMA is doing all this to prepare when really, they are doing all this to line their own pockets and give themselves total control and power.

The government always “progresses” this way for total power and is only stopped in the US by the rule of law - the constitution. But the rule of law no longer applies to disaster and terrorist fighting government. It’s police state all the way in sight and sound. It’s scaring the hell out of people.

It has Americans sumbitting themselves and their children to sexual molestation at the airports. DHS has become a collection of kooks with unlimited money and power. I don’t blame anyone for being afraid of or being disgusted by them. You would be a kook not to be afraid of this machine. But unfortunately the kooks we are discussing here, don’t quite get what it’s reality.


21 posted on 09/01/2011 5:25:23 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: SaraJohnson
I have to disagree with part of your assessment.

I don't think it is just the government acting whacky that motivates folks.

I think some of these folks have a need to feel important and to be breaking the next big story. Just look at all of the wannabee Buckheads out there when something funky comes out and folks are crawling all over the story looking for the one discrepancy that they can get the scoop on.

Others have a scam going, pure and simple, and push these theories as part of that scam.

And others shoehorn these theories into a fatalistic view of what we are going through (not hard to understand, given the nature of many of our current events).

And it all comes together in the self-confirming realm of internet sites where the conspiracy-minded can come together and find affirmation, no matter what their motives. And in that paranoid mindset, anyone who comes along and tries to inject reasoned doubt into that conspiracizing is obviously part of the grand scheme to cover it all up. Which prevents any critical feedback from entering their loop.

22 posted on 09/01/2011 5:52:20 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: dirtboy

What all you said is true. Homeland inSecurity is adding to their ranks more than you understand.


23 posted on 09/01/2011 6:22:39 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: SaraJohnson

I do understand that.


24 posted on 09/01/2011 6:25:50 PM PDT by dirtboy
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To: dirtboy

You don’t understand what exactly? Do you want to understand it?


25 posted on 09/01/2011 9:27:59 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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