The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captures time-lapse video of Comet ISON approaching the sun. In less than 2 days the comet will pass by at a distance less than one solar diameter. It'll heat up to 5000 degrees, and if it survives, depart at a speed of 828,000 miles per hour.
"Remember: Comet ISON is a dynamically new sungrazing comet, fresh in from the Oort Cloud, and the last time we saw an object like this was never! Furthermore, a sungrazing comet just three days from perihelion has never been studied in this kind of detail – we're breaking new ground here! When we factor in your standard "comets are unpredictable" disclaimer, what we have is a huge recipe for the unknown."
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+Jeff Sullivan educate me.
Does the oort cloud just spit comets inward at the planets? Or how can something be fresh from the oort cloud? #astronomydummy
C'est super chouette. Merci et nonne journée à toi. Bizou + +Jeff Sullivan
+J. Rae Chip With a trillion comets in the Oort Cloud, even very unlikely events can happen: very slow displacements from gravity eventually resulting in a fall towards the sun, passing objects changing gravity enough to move things around, perhaps occasional collisions.
I'm pretty sure it's not E.T. chucking snowballs at us, but until we get some equipment up there to look, there are a lot of theories about armageddon and government plots selling a lot of hits over on YouTube.
B
Update:
Comet ISON "pining for the fjords"
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/11/29/ison_after_perihelion_the_undead_maybe_somewhat_ex_comet.html
In case you're not familiar with the phrase "pining for the fjords":
http://youtu.be/npjOSLCR2hE
Update:
Comet ISON "Only Mostly Dead"
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/only-mostly-dead-astronomers-puzzle-over-zombie-comet-ison-2D11674274
Nice Princess Bride reference:
http://youtu.be/D9tAKLTktY0