3 Comets in a week seen from SOHO

MeteorWayne · Jul 8, 2008

3 Kreutz family comets in the current C3 loop. The first medium size one on July 3-4, a tiny one of the 5-6th, and another right at the very end inbound today, looks to be medium size. They come from about the 4 or 5 o'clock position toward the sun. Here's the loop of the last week: http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/LATEST/current_c3.gif BTW, the very bright object heading off to the left is Venus, heading for the evening sky soon. Here's a still of today's comet <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/0/beca4706-32ad-44a2-b084-ece8328ede11.Medium.jpg" alt="" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

bearack · Jul 8, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>3 Kreutz family comets in the current C3 loop.The first medium size one on July 3-4, a tiny one of the 5-6th, and another right at the very end inbound today, looks to be medium size.They come from about the 4 or 5 o'clock position toward the sun.Here's the loop of the last week:http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/LATEST/current_c3.gifBTW, the very bright object heading off to the left is Venus, heading for the evening sky soon.Here's a still of today's comet Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV> Seems like an awful lot of activity going on there. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <img id="06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/14/06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" /> </div>

MeteorWayne · Jul 8, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Seems like an awful lot of activity going on there. Posted by bearack</DIV> There are a lot of Kreutz comets out there, but yes, it's an exceptional week. It is likely that at one point all three were one piece that disintegrated. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

michaelmozina · Jul 8, 2008

I had seen the two earlier comets, but not the one from today.  The SOHO program is very cool..... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> It seems to be a natural consequence of our points of view to assume that the whole of space is filled with electrons and flying electric ions of all kinds. - Kristian Birkeland </div>

BrianSlee · Jul 8, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>3 Kreutz family comets in the current C3 loop.The first medium size one on July 3-4, a tiny one of the 5-6th, and another right at the very end inbound today, looks to be medium size.They come from about the 4 or 5 o'clock position toward the sun.Here's the loop of the last week:http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/LATEST/current_c3.gifBTW, the very bright object heading off to the left is Venus, heading for the evening sky soon.Here's a still of today's comet Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV> Uh Oh maybe we need to revive the Tonguska thread and start preparing for the worst ;O)On a more serious note, Are these previously unkown objects? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I am therefore I think" "The only thing "I HAVE TO DO!!" is die, in everything else I have freewill" Brian P. Slee </div>

MeteorWayne · Jul 8, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Uh Oh maybe we need to revive the Tonguska thread and start preparing for the worst ;O)On a more serious note, Are these previously unkown objects? Posted by BrianSlee</DIV> In a sense yes, these particular chunks, were unkown, because they were too small to be detected previously. However, the Kreutz group of sun-grazing comets have been seen for more than a millenia. The original object was disrupted thousands of years ago. Since the perihelion is so close to the sun (between 0.05 and 0.095 AU) the remaining pieces have repeatedly fallen apart leaving 500 or more tiny remnants in a highly inclined orbit that almost touches the sun. They don't approach the earth, so are not a threat to us, and the sun doesn't really care, since it vaporizes all but the very largest before they complete their perihelion pass, like these 3. Some have included the Great September Comet of 1882, Ikeya-Seki in 1965, and The Great March Comet of 1843. About 80% of SOHO comets are derived from this one massive comet of the distant past, that was likely at leat 120 km in diameter, larger than any other comet I know of. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

3488 · Jul 9, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>In a sense yes, these particular chunks, were unkown, because they were too small to be detected previously. However, the Kreutz group of sun-grazing comets have been seen for more than a millenia. The original object was disrupted thousands of years ago. Since the perihelion is so close to the sun (between 0.05 and 0.095 AU) the remaining pieces have repeatedly fallen apart leaving 500 or more tiny remnants in a highly inclined orbit that almost touches the sun. They don't approach the earth, so are not a threat to us, and the sun doesn't really care, since it vaporizes all but the very largest before they complete their perihelion pass, like these 3. Some have included the Great September Comet of 1882, Ikeya-Seki in 1965, and The Great March Comet of 1843. About 80% of SOHO comets are derived from this one massive comet of the distant past, that was likely at leat 120 km in diameter, larger than any other comet I know of. Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV>Thanks Wayne,Fascinating stuff, it really is.Yes that initial 120 KM wide nucleus was a monter. IIRC the largest know is Comet Hale Bopp @ approx 20 KM across, just one sixth as wide, yet domiated the inner solar system around Perihelion.I wonder if during the Solar Sytem's youth, there were mega comets with nuclei, Pluto, Eris, Moon, Mercury or even Mars sized? Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

MeteorWayne · Jul 9, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Thanks Wayne,Fascinating stuff, it really is.Yes that initial 120 KM wide nucleus was a monter. IIRC the largest know is Comet Hale Bopp @ approx 20 KM across, just one sixth as wide, yet domiated the inner solar system around Perihelion.I wonder if during the Solar Sytem's youth, there were mega comets with nuclei, Pluto, Eris, Moon, Mercury or even Mars sized? Andrew Brown. Posted by 3488</DIV> If Pluto or Eris came into the inner solar system (5 AU or so) they would be comets!The only reason they are not is that they are far enough out that their gravity overcomes the solar wind at their location.That applies as well to any moons of the outer planets with volitile surfaces or atmospheres. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

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3 Comets in a week seen from SOHO

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