Incoming - Comet Hurling Toward Sun

An Incoming object, either a comet or an asteroid. Looks like a comet because of the tail, but only info is on space weather.
UPDATE:
Looks like the comet went into the sun's southeastern face. Most of the imagery is missing from the Ahead satellite... but here's the remnant..
http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/browse/2010/03/12/ahead/cor1/1024/20100312_...

Days Images 3/12/2010
http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/browse/2010/03/12/ahead/cor1/1024/thumbnail...

Space Weather:
http://www.spaceweather.com/

Track it on SOHO:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html

This is one of a handful of comets that have hurled towards the sun lately.

Stereo Images show that it will miss the sun (Ahead).
http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/browse/2010/03/12/

Stereo Ahead Movie:
http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/browse/2010/03/12/ahead_20100312_cor2_512.mpg

Stereo Behind Movie:
http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/browse/2010/03/12/behind_20100312_cor2_512.mpg

16MB GIF animation from Naval Observatory
http://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/current_mpg/current_mpg/current_c3.gif

1MB version of GIF animation:
http://lasco-www.nrl.navy.mil/current_mpg/current_mpg/current_c3.mpg

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• SOHO
• ASTEROID
• COMET
• SUN
• NASA
• STEREO

[skybirdbird]

one more question.......wouldn't it just burn up before it actually hit the sun?

[nwosigns]

Some do, if the sun sends a CME toward it, we may get to see it explode... or not depends on the composition of the comet, which is generally ice. Judging from the fireball intensity, its not something to take lightly. Obviously the comet is smaller than the fireball, but it is significant.

We'll know shortly keep checking the SOHO and Stereo websites (links in side bar).

[nwosigns]

Check out the update link in the sidebar.  It looks like the sun pulled the comet in.

[TROUBLESOME2009]

Looks interesting. How do you know if it might fly past and totally miss?

[nwosigns]

If you look at the stereo images (Links on the side) they show "side" views of the sun. So the images are not directly in front of us but on either side which fives us a different perspective from the frontal view of the SOHO images.

Based on the Stereo AHEAD C3 Images and video it looks like it may fly to the right and back of the sun, unless the suns gravity pulls it into the sun.

[skybirdbird]

tkx......are the links correct?

[nwosigns]

The Stereo link was fixed. Sometimes the Stereo website gets overloaded and doesn't load. Check out the link to a GIF in the side, it's a 16 mb file, but it shows the comet a little further.

[ornerybitch]

what it that black line that looks like static? I am seeing it also on top side in SOHO for the last few days, is it a beacon of some sort or just an ordinary death ray?

[gevelegian]

LOL if you'd watch this daily you'll see these kind of things happening all the time, if you would ask someone before the earth was created that there could be an actual for of a planet that can control itself and take different aspects and travel to other planets they would have said it's impossible....

[RE4Ex2]

2012 end of everything :S

[NeidalRuekk]

@skybirdbird Not necessarily. It all depends on the composition of the comet in question. Many of these impactors are so-called 'Kreutz Sungrazers', after a massive comet that bypassed the Sun a long time ago and fragmented. Yes, comets ARE made of ice primarily, but they also have a mix of rock and metal in them. Also keep in mind that comets lack atmosphere to absorb heat the way the Earth does, they spin and lose heat, and they're moving very fast

[datafreak667]

it is NOT 2003 ub313 I REAPT ITS NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT

[strangethunder7]

I'd say from the south because galactic center is due south where 90% of the galaxy is located. if you look at mars mercury and the moon and I do believe the moons of jepiter saturn uranus neptune the bkluk of their imacts are in their south poles.. check it out..

[dimensionalyspeaking]

@skybirdbird sometimes these are chunks of other stars that have made very dense material, ie iron ect...

[PandoraProject]

der is a LOT of shit flyin around -.- that or SOHO is a hunka shit -.-

[DirtyVegas7]

Even if it was in the path the Sun it would burn it up 5000 miles out. Comets are cold and about 99.9% of them consist of primarily of Iron and ICE. So I wouldn't be worried about this the Sun burns at about 5,800 kelvins comet doesn't stand a chance.

[sweetmindgamesxx]

interesting vid! you upload awsome vids! Ty for sharing :)