Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Sept 12 - Landslides on Comets

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View larger. | Here's what a landslide on a comet looks like. Notice its brightness, due to fresh ice exposed by the landslide. Image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko via ESA's Rosetta spacecraft. Read more.
Good morning!

Landslides and avalanches keep comets active
They might even bring some dormant comets back to life. Read more.
Next few evenings … Moon, Venus, Jupiter
Now the moon has moved up past Venus in the west after sunset, and is edging toward Jupiter on the sky's dome. Read more.
Welcome to the Meghalayan age
Scientists have assigned a new name to the era we're living in. They're calling it the Meghalayan - because key data for the timing of the new age were derived from a stalagmite growing in a cave in the Indian state of Meghalaya. Read more.
Best pics of the comet as it swept safely past
Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner came closer to Earth this week than it had in 72 years. Favorite photos here, from the EarthSky community. Plus info on comet Wirtanen, which might become visible to the eye alone, later this year.

Greg Hogan in Kathleen, Georgia, wrote on Monday: "I was able to grab a shot of Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (top left) early this morning, alongside Messier 37 (star cluster, bottom right). The comet looked like a little fuzzy spot through the 'scope." Thanks, Greg!

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Next few evenings … Moon, Venus, Jupiter
The green line is the ecliptic, a projection of the plane of Earth's orbit around the sun. If you tilt your head just so, you might be able to imagine the moon, Venus and Jupiter in the 3D space of our solar system.
Milky Way from behind the clouds
Photographer April Singer wrote: "Mars just made it into the shot on the far left. Taken at 9:45 p.m. on September 8. We have a great view here in New Mexico, USA." Thank you, April!
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