I want to see another comet
I want to see another comet
I really enjoyed Hale-Bopp and I'm now mildly disturbed it was 23 years ago. A good comet would be a suitable event for 2020, given how they bring pestilence and disaster.
That Atlas comet was promising but then went to pieces quicker than Boris Johnson under Starmer's questioning. We now have Comet SWAN - or, as I like to call it, Comet Swan. But it's in the north east at dawn or something, so the sky's not dark enough when it's visible. For the northern hemisphere anyway, it's currently better in other hemispheres.
That Atlas comet was promising but then went to pieces quicker than Boris Johnson under Starmer's questioning. We now have Comet SWAN - or, as I like to call it, Comet Swan. But it's in the north east at dawn or something, so the sky's not dark enough when it's visible. For the northern hemisphere anyway, it's currently better in other hemispheres.
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Re: I want to see another comet
I was 6 years old for Hale-Bop. I'd like to see one as an adult, and the next Halley slot isn't 2061 which might be pushing my luck.
Guess we're gonna have to go to space, lpm. Can you sort out a rocket? I'll get the freeze-dried food and weapons.
Guess we're gonna have to go to space, lpm. Can you sort out a rocket? I'll get the freeze-dried food and weapons.
We have the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment.
Re: I want to see another comet
I saw comet McNaught in December 2006 from the office window in the early twilight sky on the one half-clear evening we seemed to have that month.
Fortunately, the person I pointed out to appreciated that seeing a comet effectively in daylight was a very rare event.
Sadly, the comet was best in the southern hemisphere, but I was pleased to have seen it.
Fortunately, the person I pointed out to appreciated that seeing a comet effectively in daylight was a very rare event.
Sadly, the comet was best in the southern hemisphere, but I was pleased to have seen it.
My avatar was a scientific result that was later found to be 'mistaken' - I rarely claim to be 100% correct
ETA 5/8/20: I've been advised that the result was correct, it was the initial interpretation that needed to be withdrawn
Meta? I'd say so!
ETA 5/8/20: I've been advised that the result was correct, it was the initial interpretation that needed to be withdrawn
Meta? I'd say so!
Re: I want to see another comet
I remember seeing Halley in 1986*. My early teenage self found it visually a somewhat underwhelming event, though it was quite interesting from a scientific or rational point of view. To be honest, watching the train of Starlink satellites go overhead a couple of weeks ago made a larger impression.
* I had to look that up.
* I had to look that up.
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Re: I want to see another comet
I had this book as a young kid in the 80s. I don't remember seeing Halley's comet, though I do remember Hale-Bopp.
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Re: I want to see another comet
I remember Comet Kohoutek in 1973. Or rather, I remember the huge publicity about it, and am not sure if I actually saw it (I did see a smudge in the sky) because it didn't really perform.
Re: I want to see another comet
How many other hemispheres are there?lpm wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 1:03 pmI really enjoyed Hale-Bopp and I'm now mildly disturbed it was 23 years ago. A good comet would be a suitable event for 2020, given how they bring pestilence and disaster.
That Atlas comet was promising but then went to pieces quicker than Boris Johnson under Starmer's questioning. We now have Comet SWAN - or, as I like to call it, Comet Swan. But it's in the north east at dawn or something, so the sky's not dark enough when it's visible. For the northern hemisphere anyway, it's currently better in other hemispheres.
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Re: I want to see another comet
An infinite number, surely? Only the northernmost is specifically excluded, leaving infinity-minus-one hemispheres.Grumble wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 8:04 pmHow many other hemispheres are there?lpm wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 1:03 pmI really enjoyed Hale-Bopp and I'm now mildly disturbed it was 23 years ago. A good comet would be a suitable event for 2020, given how they bring pestilence and disaster.
That Atlas comet was promising but then went to pieces quicker than Boris Johnson under Starmer's questioning. We now have Comet SWAN - or, as I like to call it, Comet Swan. But it's in the north east at dawn or something, so the sky's not dark enough when it's visible. For the northern hemisphere anyway, it's currently better in other hemispheres.
We have the right to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment.
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Re: I want to see another comet
Quick Fix for you.Bird on a Fire wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 8:11 pmAn infinite number, surely? Only the northernmost is specifically excluded, leaving infinity-minus-one hemispheres.Grumble wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 8:04 pmHow many other hemispheres are there?lpm wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 1:03 pmI really enjoyed Hale-Bopp and I'm now mildly disturbed it was 23 years ago. A good comet would be a suitable event for 2020, given how they bring pestilence and disaster.
That Atlas comet was promising but then went to pieces quicker than Boris Johnson under Starmer's questioning. We now have Comet SWAN - or, as I like to call it, Comet Swan. But it's in the north east at dawn or something, so the sky's not dark enough when it's visible. For the northern hemisphere anyway, it's currently better in other hemispheres.
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Re: I want to see another comet
My mate Pete and I were quite pleased with ourselves because we managed to locate Halley's comet with rather crappy binoculars for several nights before any of the news media got interested enough to publish photos of it. I can't now remember how we learned where to look for it. How did we do stuff before there was an internet?jaap wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 3:30 pmI remember seeing Halley in 1986*. My early teenage self found it visually a somewhat underwhelming event, though it was quite interesting from a scientific or rational point of view. To be honest, watching the train of Starlink satellites go overhead a couple of weeks ago made a larger impression.
* I had to look that up.
Re: I want to see another comet
We sent off a stamped and self-addressed envelope, possibly with a cheque, and waited at least 28 days for delivery.Martin Y wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 8:57 pmMy mate Pete and I were quite pleased with ourselves because we managed to locate Halley's comet with rather crappy binoculars for several nights before any of the news media got interested enough to publish photos of it. I can't now remember how we learned where to look for it. How did we do stuff before there was an internet?jaap wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 3:30 pmI remember seeing Halley in 1986*. My early teenage self found it visually a somewhat underwhelming event, though it was quite interesting from a scientific or rational point of view. To be honest, watching the train of Starlink satellites go overhead a couple of weeks ago made a larger impression.
* I had to look that up.
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Re: I want to see another comet
For Halley, there was a BBC Micro program (which might have been sold/given to schools or astronomy clubs - I'm not sure how I managed to get hold of it, aside from it being on a cassette copy of a copy of a copy), so it might have been that.
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Re: I want to see another comet
Cheers.dyqik wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 4:44 pmThese will be useful:
http://www.cometwatch.co.uk/current-observable-comets/
http://www.cometwatch.co.uk/bright-comets-of-2020/
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Re: I want to see another comet
It's sort-of coming back to me that someone, maybe New Scientist, had a chart showing where Halley's comet was expected to be on certain dates and we extrapolated that track back. That's probably why we were so pleased with ourselves - because we spotted it several days before the first date they showed. I do remember drawing a chart of a region of stars in the back of my maths book, and plotting where the smudge was each night.