Meteor Shower Reveals New Comet Neo, October Camelopardalids |
Meteor Shower Reveals New Comet Neo, October Camelopardalids |
Dec 5 2005, 02:51 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2454 Joined: 8-July 05 From: NGC 5907 Member No.: 430 |
http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=1233789
by Peter Jenniskens SETI Institute scientist and meteor expert Peter Jenniskens reports in a telegram issued by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=1233789) that an unexpected burst of meteors on October 5, 2005 has occurred, which betrayed the presence of a thusfar unknown, potentially Earth-threatening, comet. The burst of meteors radiated from a direction on the border of the constellations Draco and Camelopardalis, and the new shower is called the October Camelopardalids. The meteors were caused by dust ejected by an Intermediate Long-Period comet during its previous return to the Sun, and the detection of the comet's dust trail implies that the comet itself could wander into Earth's path, if so directed by the gravitational pull of the planets. The comet itself has not yet been discovered and is likely to return to Earth's vicinity only once every 200 - 10,000 years. Chances are very small that Earth will be at the intersection point at the time of the return, hence, there is no immediate concern. The dust, however, is forensic evidence that may provide more insight into the nature of this new comet when the meteor shower is seen again in the future. 2005 OCTOBER 5 OUTBURST OF OCTOBER CAMELOPARDALIDS Peter Jenniskens, Jarmo Moilanen, Esko Lyytinen, Ilkka Yrjölä, Jeff Brower http://www.seti.org/atf/cf/{B0D4BC0E-D59B-...}/WGNreport.pdf -------------------- "After having some business dealings with men, I am occasionally chagrined,
and feel as if I had done some wrong, and it is hard to forget the ugly circumstance. I see that such intercourse long continued would make one thoroughly prosaic, hard, and coarse. But the longest intercourse with Nature, though in her rudest moods, does not thus harden and make coarse. A hard, sensible man whom we liken to a rock is indeed much harder than a rock. From hard, coarse, insensible men with whom I have no sympathy, I go to commune with the rocks, whose hearts are comparatively soft." - Henry David Thoreau, November 15, 1853 |
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Dec 5 2005, 07:12 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
Camelopardalids? Don't ask me why, but that name just sounds so... absurd, somehow...
-the other Doug -------------------- “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” -Mark Twain
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Dec 5 2005, 08:16 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 540 Joined: 17-November 05 From: Oklahoma Member No.: 557 |
QUOTE (dvandorn @ Dec 5 2005, 01:12 PM) Camelopardalids? Don't ask me why, but that name just sounds so... absurd, somehow... -the other Doug The naming is unavoidable, as meteor showers are named for the constellation in which the radiant appears. For my own part, I find the name strangely pleasing. And yes, I know the constellation is "Giraffe". |
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