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**pharmacologist30** · 12-17-2011, 02:39 PM

'Phew!'? Much different MSM tone than with comets 'grazing' earth at over 100,000km last month. Seems AP is more concerned about comets hitting the sun than the earth.

Phew! Comet has a brush with fiery death
Dec 16 2011 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—A small comet survived what astronomers figured would be a sure death when it danced uncomfortably close to the ['sun's corona].

Comet Lovejoy, which was only discovered a couple of weeks ago, was supposed to melt Thursday night when it came close to where temperatures hit several million degrees. Astronomers had tracked 2,000 other sun-grazing comets make the same suicidal trip. None had ever survived.

But astronomers watching live with NASA telescopes first saw the sun's corona wiggle as Lovejoy went close to the sun. They were then shocked when a bright spot emerged on the sun's other side. Lovejoy lived.

"I was delighted when I saw it go into the sun and I was astounded when I saw something re-emerge," said U.S. Navy solar researcher Karl Battams.

Lovejoy didn't exactly come out of its hellish adventure unscathed. Only 10 per cent of the comet — which was probably millions of tons — survived the encounter, said W. Dean Pesnell, project scientist for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which tracked Lovejoy's death-defying plunge.

And the comet lost something pretty important: its tail.

"It looks like the tail broke off and is stuck" in the sun's magnetic field, Pesnell said.

Comets circle the sun and sometimes get too close. Lovejoy came within 121,000 kilometres of the sun's surface, Battams said... [childish ice cube and barbecue denial follows]

12-17-2011, 02:39 PM	#5
pharmacologist30 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 339 Senior Member	'Phew!'? Much different MSM tone than with comets 'grazing' earth at over 100,000km last month. Seems AP is more concerned about comets hitting the sun than the earth. Phew! Comet has a brush with fiery death Dec 16 2011 The Associated Press WASHINGTON—A small comet survived what astronomers figured would be a sure death when it danced uncomfortably close to the ['sun's corona]. Comet Lovejoy, which was only discovered a couple of weeks ago, was supposed to melt Thursday night when it came close to where temperatures hit several million degrees. Astronomers had tracked 2,000 other sun-grazing comets make the same suicidal trip. None had ever survived. But astronomers watching live with NASA telescopes first saw the sun's corona wiggle as Lovejoy went close to the sun. They were then shocked when a bright spot emerged on the sun's other side. Lovejoy lived. "I was delighted when I saw it go into the sun and I was astounded when I saw something re-emerge," said U.S. Navy solar researcher Karl Battams. Lovejoy didn't exactly come out of its hellish adventure unscathed. Only 10 per cent of the comet — which was probably millions of tons — survived the encounter, said W. Dean Pesnell, project scientist for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which tracked Lovejoy's death-defying plunge. And the comet lost something pretty important: its tail. "It looks like the tail broke off and is stuck" in the sun's magnetic field, Pesnell said. Comets circle the sun and sometimes get too close. Lovejoy came within 121,000 kilometres of the sun's surface, Battams said... [childish ice cube and barbecue denial follows]
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