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Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková
| February 9th, 2017 at 12:31:55 PM permalink | |
| Ayecarumba Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 89 Posts: 1744 | In a regular orbit around the sun, Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková comes by every 5.25 years. It will make its closest approach to Earth this time around on February 11, 2017. Even though it will only be 7.4 million miles away at the time, it is only a mile wide, and light from the Moon will make it even harder to see. You will probably need a telescope or a big honkin' pair of binoculars. The coolest thing about this comet is that it is green:  |
| February 9th, 2017 at 1:44:58 PM permalink | |
| odiousgambit Member since: Oct 28, 2012 Threads: 154 Posts: 5094 |
pretty hard to make carbon a gas, so I guess it means carbon dioxide? ... hydrocarbons? http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/comet-45p-closing-in-for-weekend-flyby/ I'm Still Standing, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah [it's an old guy chant for me] |
| February 9th, 2017 at 4:19:10 PM permalink | |
| Ayecarumba Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 89 Posts: 1744 |
Actually, with heat from the sun and the vacuum of space, diatomic carbon (aka, "Dicarbon") can exist. Apparently, it is what gives 45P it's green color. I don't know why it comes off as C2 instead of something more stable. Maybe it's the heat. |
| February 10th, 2017 at 12:19:39 PM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |  Just heat this graphite to 6,588 °F and you get a gas. |