Comet ISON

[€uroMeinke]

It Lives!

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

It Lives!

Sadly any hope for "comet of the century" is toast. Even getting to naked eye brightness would be long shot.

However, ISON has one more long shot up it's sleeve. It's possible earth will be going through ISON's debris trail. That could result in something spectacular.

[RStar]

I find it amuzing how people have been refering this lump of rock and ice as "living" or "dying" like it is a living being. It's a dirty snowball hurtling through space at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, people.

The skys are clearing, so maybe I'll see some dirty snow tomorrow!

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

However, ISON has one more long shot up it's sleeve. It's possible earth will be going through ISON's debris trail. That could result in something spectacular.

Or not.

Originally Posted by Science Dude

According to Wiegert's computer models, the debris stream is populated with extremely tiny grains of dust, no more than a few microns wide, pushed toward Earth by the gentle radiation pressure of the sun. They will be hitting at a speed of 56 km/s or 125,000 mph. Because the particles are so small, Earth’s upper atmosphere will rapidly slow them to a stop.
"Instead of burning up in a flash of light, they will drift gently down to the Earth below," he says.

[RStar]

"Instead of burning up in a flash of light, they will drift gently down to the Earth below," he says.

Where I will then catch them on my tounge....