Godlike Productions - Reply to Thread

Users Online Now: 1,422 (Who's On?)	Visitors Today: 163,998
Pageviews Today: 304,381	Threads Today: 154	Posts Today: 2,338
03:27 AM

REPLY TO THREAD

Subject Can Comet Atlas (C-2019) Dust Tail directly intersect Earth for a day or two while it hits ecliptic?

User Name

Font color: Font:

In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss and no more than 50% of the source material, provide a link back to the original article and provide your original comments / criticism in your post with the article.

Original Message [link to phys.org (secure)]

This is a view from the center of the Earth of Atlas on June 1, 2020.

In 3d, Atlas would be closer to us than the Sun on that day, 0.9 AU from us.

The Ion tail would be shooting from Atlas drawing a direct line from the Sun to Atlas and on from there (from Atlas on the Ion tail goes straight). That does not seem to be the problem.

The DUST tail however curves from Atlas toward the Earth in on this day, a couple days before, and after. See link below:

[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]

The DUST tail has a curve to it that trails from a path starting in the same as the ION but then going about 30 degrees and more deviated from that.

See this diagram: [link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]

Tails have been know to extend 3 AU from comets putting the tail in the range of Earth in such a case. The dust tail from Atlas would get to Earth in the first link if you imagine the tail curving from Atlas to you the viewer. That is roughly the track while it is crossing the ecliptic (yellow line in the first link).

[link to ssd.jpl.nasa.gov (secure)] fastforward to June 1 on this.

This is just a query asking if this makes sense - that the Atlas tail may engage Earth here.

Pictures (click to insert)





\| Next Page >>