Saturday, October 2, 2010

That Glowing Green Dot in The Sky is NOT a UFO - It's a Commet

On October 20th Comet Hartley 2 will pass within eleven million miles of earth. which you probably think sounds pretty far away but is actually closer than any other comet has come to the earth in the last few centuries. But if you happen to own a telescope, then you don't have to wait until October 20th to see it because for you, the hazy green comet is already visible in the constellation Cassiopeia. But if you don't own a telescope, don't worry, because as the comet approaches it will become easier to see using less powerful telescopes, binoculars, and finally even the naked eye under the right conditions.


Or- you could do like astronomer Bill Cooke, who took the image to the right, a four minute long
exposure, using a telescope located near Mayhill, N.M., which he controlled via the Internet from his home computer in Huntsville, Alabama. Ain't technology great?
-CAINE-

Source:Wired Science

Image Credit: Top:Rolando Ligustri Bottom:Bill Cooke

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