The strangely brightening comet

[Dr. Harry]

Comet Holmes (17P) brightened by a factor of more than a million times to go from a brightness only detectable in a large telescope as late as October 20th is now as bright as some of the brightest stars in the sky.

Northern hemisphere observers are particularly well-placed to see Comet Holmes in the Northeast after sunset.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/10775326.html

I haven't seen it yet, but you can bet yer *&%*% I'm checking tonight!

 

[Darth K'Trava]

I would but the rain we're having until sometime Saturday AM precludes me from watching for the comet. Maybe Sat night, if it clears up, on the way to the Halloween party...

 

[Steve Jung]

That's really cool. A shame it's very cloudy here.

 

[trancejeremy]

I hope it's just outgassing, and it's not one of those berserker probes disguised as a comet, suddenly deciding we're advanced enough to destroy.

 

[Merkuri]

I hope it's just outgassing, and it's not one of those berserker probes disguised as a comet, suddenly deciding we're advanced enough to destory.

It was 4th edition that did it. That was the technology it was waiting for that tripped its sensors.

That and the George Forman grill.

 

[Dr. Harry]

I saw the comet last night; it appeared to the eye as a star as bright as any in the constellation that it is in (Perseus).

Through binoculars it appeared as a blurred, bright, compact disk. Quite cool.

If you want to see what the sky will look like from your location, I recommend

http://www.heavens-above.com/

Check out

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071026.html

for a picture!

 

[Dr. Harry]

I hope it's just outgassing, and it's not one of those berserker probes disguised as a comet, suddenly deciding we're advanced enough to destory.

Look at the bright side; maybe it was probing us, and uploaded "Dancing with the Stars", "Kid Nation", and the news obsession with drunken slutty starlets, and then just couldn't take it ...

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Look at the bright side; maybe it was probing us, and uploaded "Dancing with the Stars", "Kid Nation", and the news obsession with drunken slutty starlets, and then just couldn't take it ...

Yes if there's anything to make artificial intelligence commit suicide it's the garbage spewed by the media machine.


Wait, now I realize why TV has gotten so bad, the wash of EM broadcasts by the media are actually a form of defense system against the alien menace

 

[Dr. Harry]

Yes if there's anything to make artificial intelligence commit suicide it's the garbage spewed by the media machine.


Wait, now I realize why TV has gotten so bad, the wash of EM broadcasts by the media are actually a form of defense system against the alien menace

To paraphrase an old Bloom County strip, it's going to be hard to give the media the benefit of the doubt.

I thought about postulating that this would make us more likely to be blown up, but realized that the level of what Earth is sending out would break the lock-on of the mostdetermined Auto-Oblitero_Missile Q37.

 

[Slapzilla]

I've seen it in the mornings a few times late this week. Brighter than Jupiter gets. I figured it was Jupiter, in fact. Not close enough to sunrise to be Venus. Glad to know what it is. Thanks.