March 06, 2006

Unexpected Comet Pojamanski is visible for Northern monkeys. It has a pretty turquoise tail. It needs a pretty name, however.
posted by EarWax 18 years ago
  • It looks bound for Woking
  • riddle I whoosh through the stars of the local galaxy and my tail is a marvel of dust and debris
  • Umm, flounder? No, the pope! The POPE!
  • No, Jennifer Anniston - her tail is dusty with debris cause she got DUMPED on her ASS! Plus, you know, she gets around.
  • [Thanks for this, EarWax!]
  • Thanks for the heads-up. I missed this earlier (and am cursing as a result). However, this is really at the EDGE of naked eye visibility and even then only if you are in a really dark location. You can probably catch it easily with binoculars, but I would anticipate that it would look like a fuzzy star with the tail visible only if you are (again) in a fairly dark location - outside of city lights. I kind of hate these sorts of announcements for the general public because they think if they can't just step out the back door and spot it (like the full moon) that it is a disappointment. See this page for a map: http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1684_1.asp
  • I will happily view any celestial wonder that can be seen at night. Anything that requires getting up before dawn will just have to be missed.
  • And I just spent $4,896,512.45 to put a shoutout to rocket88 on the comet's tail. But that's ok, don't trouble yourself by getting out of bed. That's fine.
  • Kewl.
  • Wow a cool 5 mil for rocket? What do I get? What do I get??
  • Those are Canadian dollars, pete.
  • That's a gorgeous picture. Pretty an' blooooooo.
  • Nobody ever expects the Comet Pojamanski.
  • My Infernal Masters assure me that this isn't the one that gets us.
  • Ah, but do The Inferknowed Masters always tell the truth?
  • Well, no, there is that.
  • Koko: I bought the fabulous low price extended payment plan shout-out for Pete. If you squint hard, you can just make it out to the right of yours. Pete, please put your pants back on. I kind of hate these sorts of announcements for the general public because they think if they can't just step out the back door and spot it (like the full moon) that it is a disappointment. Yah, so? What's yer point? **goes out, tips head back with mouth open** Well, where is it already?
  • My dad and I got all excited about Hailey's comet back when I was a kid, and bought a fairly nice amateur telescope... and saw nuthin'. However, we did have lots of fun looking at the moon and various planets.
  • Telescopes are really not the best tools for viewing big comets with tails. Binoculars are best. If you didn't see Halley you either weren't looking at the right time or in the right place, because it was pretty impressive. A 35mm camera on a tripod with a long exposure (normal lens) should capture it, too. (fast film please). Google how to photograph a comet.
  • I think one reason we never saw it was that we never went far enough out of the city. My parents live right in-between Ft. Worth and Dallas, a huge metropolitan area with tons of light pollution.
  • But photographing the comet would be awesome. Thanks for the idea, mecurious!