The Sun Swallows a Comet

Source - Space Weather News for Aug. 3, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

THE SUN IS SWALLOWING A COMET: One of the brightest sungrazing comets of the last 20 years is plunging toward the sun and vaporizing furiously. The icy visitor from the outer solar system may only have hours left to "live."

Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.

Coronal Canyon Spews Solar Wind Toward Earth

 
Source - Space Weather News for March 25, 2016:http://spaceweather.com

HOLE IN THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE:  A canyon-shaped hole in the sun's atmosphere has opened up and it is spewing solar wind toward Earth. Estimated time of arrival: March 27-28.  Arctic sky watchers should be alert for a springtime display of auroras.  Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information.

NEW RADAR IMAGES OF EARTH-BUZZING COMET:  Earlier this week, comet fragment P/2016 BA14 made an unusually-close approach to Earth. Using a radar in the Mojave Desert, NASA researchers pinged the comet as it passed by, revealing an icy nucleus that looks like a brick--or a pear--depending on your point of view. See for yourself  on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com

Green Comet Approaches Earth

Source - Space Weather News for March 17, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

GREEN COMET APPROACHES EARTH: There's no danger of a collision.  However, a small green comet named "252P/LINEAR" is about to make one of the closest approaches to Earth of any comet in modern times, sailing just 5.4 million km from our planet on March 21st.  Moreover, the comet appears to have company: A possible fragment of 252P/LINEAR will fly by just one day later. A weak meteor shower could follow the double flyby near the end of March. 

Visit Spaceweather.com for more information.

Unusual Comet Passes by the Sun

Source - Space Weather News for Feb. 20, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

Astronomers are scratching their heads over an unusual comet that is passing by the sun.  The icy visitor to the inner solar system does not belong to any known family of sungrazing comets, and it appeared to be doomed as it made its plunge toward the sun on Feb. 19th.  Instead of disintegrating, however, the comet has emerged apparently intact, and could become a target for telescopes on Earth when it emerges from the sun's glare in the weeks ahead.

Images and updates may be found on http://spaceweather.com.

How to Land on a Comet

Source NASA Science News for Nov. 3, 2014

The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft is about to attempt something "ridiculously difficult" - landing a probe on the surface of a speeding comet.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/03nov_rosettalanding/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5iyZTXiX78&feature=youtu.be



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NASA Science Fleet Prepares for Mars Comet

Source - NASA Science News for October 9, 2014

NASA spacecraft and rovers are gearing up to observe a once-in-a-lifetime comet flyby of Mars on Sunday, Oct. 19.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/09oct_cometprep/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R4yj7DtQbM



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Rosetta Comet May Be a Contact Binary

Source - NASA Science News for July 17, 2014

New images of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko show that the target of ESA's Rosetta probe is no ordinary comet.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/17jul_rosetta/

A Comet Explodes

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 22, 2013: http://spaceweather.com

A COMET EXPLODES: Amateur astronomers are reporting a 100-fold outburst of brightness from Comet C/2012 X1 (LINEAR).  Images reveal a spherical shell of gas that reminds observers of Comet 17P/Holmes, which exploded in 2007.  So far the comet is too dim for naked-eye viewing, but at magnitude +8.5 it is bright enough for imaging by backyard telescopes.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and more information

Sundiving Comet

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 10, 2013:http://spaceweather.com

SUNDIVING COMET:  A comet is falling into the sun today. Images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show a bright comet rapidly evaporating as the sun turns up the heat, and it may be only hours away from complete disintegration.  Check http://spaceweather.com for images of the death plunge.

JUNO PHOTOGRAPHED: Yesterday, NASA's Juno spacecraft buzzed Earth only 347 miles above our planet's surface. Although the spacecraft was very faint, several amateur astronomers managed to photograph it.  Their images are featured in a special gallery on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

Sundiving Comet and CME

Source - Space Weather News for August 20, 2013: http://spaceweather.com

SUNDIVING COMET AND CME: A small comet plunged into the sun this morning. Just before it arrived, the sun expelled a magnificent full-halo CME. Did the comet survive? Find out what happened at http://spaceweather.com.

CHANCE OF STORMS:  There is a slight chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Aug. 20-21 when Earth is expected to pass through the wake of a CME that left the sun a few days ago.  Geomagnetic storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Hubble Sees Comet ISON

Source - NASA Science News for April 24, 2013

A new picture of Comet ISON taken by the Hubble Space Telescope is giving astronomers key information about what might happen when the comet plunges into the sun later this year.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/24apr_hubbleison/

Comet ISON Meteor Shower

Source - NASA Science News for April 19, 2013

A new model of the debris flowing from Comet ISON suggests that the sungrazer could dust the Earth with meteoroids in early 2014. Forecasters discuss the possibilities today's story from Science@NASA.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/19apr_isonids/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eSYxvUWwVk



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Comet of the Century?

Source - NASA Science News for Jan. 18, 2013:

Astronomers are keeping a close eye on newly-discovered Comet ISON, which could become visible in broad daylight later this year when it skims through the atmosphere of the sun. Some reporters have dubbed ISON the "Comet of the Century," but experts aren't yet sure how bright the sungrazer will become.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/18jan_cometison/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_1HdOCOJ_Q



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A New Meteor Shower in December?

Source - NASA Science News for Dec. 11, 2012:

Forecasters say a stream of meteoroids from Comet Wirtanen could cut across Earth's path this week, creating a new meteor shower. If the shower materializes (a big if) it would add to the ongoing display of Geminid meteors which peaks on Dec. 13-14.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/11dec_newshower/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEPPGF3KrMQ





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Big Sun-diving Comet Discovered

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 25, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

SUNDIVING COMET: Astronomers are paying close attention to a newly-discovered comet, C/2012 S1 (ISON), which is heading for a remarkably close encounter with the sun.

Fierce solar heat could turn Comet ISON into a bright naked-eye object in Nov. 2013.  First images and speculation about the comet are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com

Mission to Land on a Comet

Source - NASA Science News for Feb. 2, 2012

Europe’s Rosetta spacecraft is en route to intercept a comet­--and to make history. In 2014, Rosetta will enter orbit around 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and land a probe on it for a front row seat as the comet heads toward the disintegrating heat of the sun.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/02feb_rosetta/

Below is a video version of this story which is also available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoePrO4-fGQ

Comet Corpses in the Solar Wind

Source - NASA Science News for Jan. 20, 2012

A paper published in today's issue of Science raises an intriguing new possibility--the presence of abundant comet corpses in the solar wind. The new research is based on dramatic images of a comet disintegrating in the sun's atmosphere last July.

FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/20jan_cometcorpse/

Spectacular Sundiving Comet

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 15, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SUNDIVING COMET: Comet Lovejoy is plunging toward the sun, and its ~200-meter wide core is vaporizing furiously as it approaches the hot star. So far the comet's brightness seems to be exceeding expectations. Indeed, there is a slim chance that the sundiver will brighten enough to be seen with the naked eye in broad daylight on Dec. 15th. Check http://spaceweather.com for further discussion and the latest movies from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.

Significant Sungrazing Comet + Geminid Meteor Shower

Source - Space Weather News for Dec. 13, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

GEMINID METEOR SHOWER: Earth is passing through a stream of debris from near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon, source of the annual Geminid meteor shower. Forecasters expect meteor rates to reach 20-to-40 per hour when the shower peaks in bright moonlight on the night of Dec.13/14. The best time to look, no matter where you live, is between 10 pm local time on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and sunrise on Wednesday, Dec. 14th. Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and live audio from a meteor radar.

BIG SUNDIVING COMET: A comet nearly as wide as two football fields (200m) is plunging toward the sun where it will most likely be destroyed in a spectacular light show on Dec. 15/16. Solar glare will hide the event from human eyes, but NASA and ESA spacecraft should have a grand view. Check http://spaceweather.com for full coverage.

METALLIC PHOTOS OF THE SUN: Would you like to have an explosion a billion times more powerful than an atomic bomb hanging on your wall? Unique metallic photos of solar flares and prominences are now available in the Space Weather Store: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/metallicpicturesofthesun.aspx

Sundiving Comet

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 13, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

SUNDIVING COMET: A comet is diving into the sun today. Just discovered by comet hunters Michal Kusiak of Poland and Sergei Schmalz of Germany in data from SOHO, the icy visitor from the outer solar system is expected to brighten to first magnitude before it disintegrates on Sept. 14th. Visit http://spaceweather.com today and tomorrow to follow the comet's death plunge.