Newfound Comet Will Swing By Earth in 2013

[Shockwind]

A newfound comet discovered by a telescope designed to hunt for dangerous asteroids will make its closest pass by Earth in 2013 and should be visible to the naked eye when it draws near, astronomers say.

Hawaii's Pan-STARRS 1 telescope detected the comet, which is called C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), on the night of June 5 and 6, and the discovery was confirmed by follow-up observations with a different instrument a day later. The comet will likely come within about 30 million miles (50 million kilometers) of the sun in February or March 2013 — about the same distance as the planet Mercury, researchers said.

During its closest approach to Earth in two years, comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) likely to be visible low in the western sky shortly after sunset, weather permitting. Skywatchers interested in seeing the newfound icy wanderer should look up then, because they may never get another chance to see it.[/p]

Source

 

[Buleste]

Thanks for the info.

 

[wasim]

Will there be any kinda disaster when it pass ?

 

[s4mid4re]

Pan-STARRS 1 found the comet while scanning the sky for potentially hazardous asteroids — ones that may someday hit Earth. The comet, however, poses no danger to our planet, researchers said.

At least we're safe.

 

[Chhotu uttam]

comet.

I love them.

 

[Ace Overclocked]

sephiroth cast the meteor
quick use holy guys
we're doomed
and even if we survive we will be hit by geostigma
(sorry i finished ff7 yesterday)

 

[spinal_cord]

Will there be any kinda disaster when it pass ?

I'm sure we'll be safe, it's been 65 million years since the last major astrological problem. Statistically, I think we're in a good place.

 

[naved.islam14]

Does anyone know in which countries it will be visible?

 

[chris888222]

God bless us

 

[TwoBladedKnight]

Will there be any kinda disaster when it pass ?

I'm sure we'll be safe, it's been 65 million years since the last major astrological problem. Statistically, I think we're in a good place.

It's been 65 million years... you know what they say... Calm before the storm

 

[SamAsh07]

Will there be any kinda disaster when it pass ?

I'm sure we'll be safe, it's been 65 million years since the last major astrological problem. Statistically, I think we're in a good place.

What astrological problem?? I want link to that

If it's about Dinosaurs then no ty lol.

 

[Miss Panda]

Will there be any kinda disaster when it pass ?

I'm sure we'll be safe, it's been 65 million years since the last major astrological problem. Statistically, I think we're in a good place.

What astrological problem?? I want link to that

If it's about Dinosaurs then no ty lol.

65 million years ago
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8550504.stm

@OP Thanks for posting, I love space stuff

 

[Shockwind]

Will there be any kinda disaster when it pass ?

I'm sure we'll be safe, it's been 65 million years since the last major astrological problem. Statistically, I think we're in a good place.

What astrological problem?? I want link to that

If it's about Dinosaurs then no ty lol.

65 million years ago
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8550504.stm

@OP Thanks for posting, I love space stuff

You're welcome.

I also love space stuff. LOL!

 

[Buleste]

Will there be any kinda disaster when it pass ?

Comets were viewed as portents of doom in the past, foretelling disaster and death so who knows?

 

[cwstjdenobs]

Will there be any kinda disaster when it pass ?

I'm sure we'll be safe, it's been 65 million years since the last major astrological problem. Statistically, I think we're in a good place.


Well not really, statistically we're well overdue another impact of something along those proportions.

QUOTE(SamAsh07 @ Jun 21 2011, 12:06 PM)

What astrological problem?? I want link to that

If it's about Dinosaurs then no ty lol.

Yes it is but that was only the last truly massive one. I do believe the most recent event (in a populated area) was this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaali_crater, which was relatively small, but read some of the numbers, rather bloody scary. Why no ty?

 

[Searinox]

Astrological problem? Where ISN'T there a problem with astrology?

Ohh you mean astronomy! These impacts continue to happen on Earth all the time though many are quite and big stuff like Tunguska will only happens every few hundred years. Noteworthy stuff continues to happen every few decades. Cataclysmic stuff statistically happens about only once every hundred million years.

It's funny how talk about a new comet immediately spurs discussion about impacts although they are the least likely aspect to consider.

 

[Blaze163]

Provided it swings past Earth instead of directly into it, it should be good for a romantic evening with my new lady friend.

Now I'm gonna go watch Deep Impact.

 

[Nathan Drake]

Funny, I was just watching a show on the Science channel a couple days back talking about the universe, and this exact thing came up. The meteor news itself isn't all that new. Pretty sure scientists have known about it for more than a little while. What was mentioned in the show I was watching though, was that massive meteors, bigger than Manhattan (big meteor is big), hit the Earth about every 100 million years.

We aren't due for another cataclysmic, life changing meteor in our life times by so very far.

 

[SinHarvest24]

This sounds kool, makes me want to buy a telescope but they're a bit too expensive for me right now....

 

[Raika]

It'll be pretty sweet, provided the world doesn't end in 2012.
...
Someone had to do it.