[QUOTE=Dubslow;323159]Not quite sure this counts for the thread, but I can't find the astronomy threads we're sure to have.

[URL]http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/massive-comet-will-shine-brighter-than-the-moon-say-astronomers/[/URL][/QUOTE]
Very nice to know! Let's hope it does indeed turn out to be bright as seen from Earth when it arrives. I assume the article's reference to "16" as the comets estimated magnitude at its brightest must be a misprint for 1.6 - which is indeed very bright! Another important detail, of course, is over how much of the sky the tail will stretch. I don't see that estimated in the article, and probably no-one has any idea yet either. Could this be a truly great comet like several in the 19th century were, stretching right across the night sky?? Or will it be a big disappointment like comet Kohoutek was in 1973?

[QUOTE=Brian-E;323169]Very nice to know! Let's hope it does indeed turn out to be bright as seen from Earth when it arrives. I assume the article's reference to "16" as the comets estimated magnitude at its brightest must be a misprint for 1.6 - which is indeed very bright! Another important detail, of course, is over how much of the sky the tail will stretch. I don't see that estimated in the article, and probably no-one has any idea yet either. Could this be a truly great comet like several in the 19th century were, stretching right across the night sky?? Or will it be a big disappointment like comet Kohoutek was in 1973?[/QUOTE]I suspect it's a misprint for -16. Even -1.6 isn't brighter than Venus, let alone the moon.

according to [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_magnitude[/url]
–26.74 Sun as seen from Earth (398,359 times brighter than mean full moon)
–12.92 Maximum brightness of full Moon (mean is –12.74)
so -16 would be very bright

[QUOTE=Dubslow;323159]Not quite sure this counts for the thread, but I can't find the astronomy threads we're sure to have.

[url]http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/massive-comet-will-shine-brighter-than-the-moon-say-astronomers/[/url][/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=xilman;323179]I suspect it's a misprint for -16. Even -1.6 isn't brighter than Venus, let alone the moon.[/QUOTE]

Yes, it is supposed to be -16 [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2012_S1[/url]

BTW, March might also have a good one too: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2011_L4[/url]

-16 would be spectacularly bright ... far brighter than [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale%E2%80%93Bopp]Hale-Bopp[/url], and that was the best comet (in terms of brightness and length of visibility) in nearly 200 years. I have fond memories of the naked-eye treat afforded by first comet Hyakutake and then Hale-Bopp, two great comets within the span of a year.

Not sure why the article describes the new one as "massive", though - 3 km-dia nucleus is dwarfed by Hale-Bopp's 60 km.

[QUOTE=Dubslow;323159]Not quite sure this counts for the thread, but I can't find the astronomy threads we're sure to have.

[url]http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/massive-comet-will-shine-brighter-than-the-moon-say-astronomers/[/url][/QUOTE]

Yes, this was mentioned back in September in this thread, and the hype is certainly building. I wonder how long until one or both of these comets are linked to the end of the world...Hale-Bopp led to the "Heaven's Gate" cult suicides (39 people). Hope people simply take these opportunities for what they are- possibly a once-in-a-lifetime (brighter than the moon?!?) spectacular sky-show.

Norm

[URL="http://news.yahoo.com/never-seen-stage-planet-birth-revealed-180754694.html"]Never-Before-Seen Stage of Planet Birth Revealed[/URL]


[QUOTE]Astronomers studying a newborn star have caught a detailed glimpse of planets forming around it, revealing a never-before seen stage of planetary evolution.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Far from Earth, the fledgling star HD 142527 is nearing the end of its formation process. Around 2 million years old, the young star is about twice as massive as the sun, though it is still slowly growing. A disk of spinning dust and gas left over from its formation surrounds the star, and from this material, planets are being created. [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=science_man_88;323472][URL="http://news.yahoo.com/never-seen-stage-planet-birth-revealed-180754694.html"]Never-Before-Seen Stage of Planet Birth Revealed[/URL][/QUOTE]

That's very cool! Thanks!

[QUOTE=kladner;323477]That's very cool! Thanks![/QUOTE]

You're quite welcome.

[url]http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/01/lead-crime-link-gasoline[/url]

Could atmospheric lead play a role in the rise and fall of crime rates?

[QUOTE=akruppa;323585][URL]http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/01/lead-crime-link-gasoline[/URL]

Could atmospheric lead play a role in the rise and fall of crime rates?[/QUOTE]
As the global warming theory didn't kill too many geese... :razz: Nice reading anyhow.