Comet ISON

[FurtiveFreddy]

There's a great Android app called "Mobile Observatory - Astronomy" (£3.99) which allows you to hold up your smartphone/tablet/whatever to the sky and it will show you where everything out there is and where to look.

It's really worth a few quid if you're interested in anything to do with the night sky.

[central]

FurtiveFreddy said:

There's a great Android app called "Mobile Observatory - Astronomy" (£3.99) which allows you to hold up your smartphone/tablet/whatever to the sky and it will show you where everything out there is and where to look.

It's really worth a few quid if you're interested in anything to do with the night sky.

Google sky maps, ISON finder, ISS, Sat track, ISS detector etc etc. All free.

[FurtiveFreddy]

central said:

oogle sky maps, ISON finder, ISS, Sat track, ISS detector etc etc. All free.

Agreed and I already use some of those (although I tried Google Sky Maps on Android and it wasn't that good).

I'm just in an app-buying frenzy at the moment having just got a new 'phone!

[rufusruffcutt]

Just hit 300,000mph and still accelerating!

[Dan_1981]

Best free iOS based sky watching / star spotting / planet locator type app thing?

[central]

Dan_1981 said:

Best free iOS based sky watching / star spotting / planet locator type app thing?

Worthy of another thread I think.

[Eric Mc]

Interesting video here. If you look carefully, you can see a smaller comet moving through the frame as well.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/27/comet-i...

[funkyrobot]

Eric Mc said:

Interesting video here. If you look carefully, you can see a smaller comet moving through the frame as well.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/27/comet-i...

Great vid Eric.

Interesting how, because of Stereo A's position, it looks like Earth is closer to the sun than Mercury.

[funkyrobot]

Another viewing guide (to be used if it survives ):

[nelly1]

Just over 9 hours until perihelion...

http://www.cometison2013.co.uk/perihelion-and-dist...

[funkyrobot]

nelly1 said:

Just over 9 hours until perihelion...

http://www.cometison2013.co.uk/perihelion-and-dist...

Good link. Thanks.

Currently proceeding at over 423,000 mph!

[RobGT81]

500,000mph!

[nelly1]

Just warming up - 845,000mph at Vmax...

[funkyrobot]

nelly1 said:

Just warming up - 845,000mph at Vmax...

VTEC kicked in yo!

[rufusruffcutt]

nelly1 said:

Just warming up - 845,000mph at Vmax...

This got me thinking about what speed other objects are doing or have done.
ISS/ Space Shuttle = 17,200mph
Apollo 10 (Fastest manned vehicle) = 24,800mph
Voyager 1 (Relative to the Sun) = 38,000mph
Helios 2 (Fastest man made object) = 157,100mph
You, me and everyone else just sitting down are orbiting the Milky Way at 450,000mph

Edited by rufusruffcutt on Thursday 28th November 16:14

[benjj]

675,000mph now

Run Forrest, run

[benjj]

It has completed the 1004 mile drive from my house in the Yorkshire Dales to my house in the south of France in 18.77 seconds.

[funkyrobot]

benjj said:

It has completed the 1004 mile drive from my house in the Yorkshire Dales to my house in the south of France in 18.77 seconds.

Terrible disregard for safety at them speeds.

[benjj]

funkyrobot said:

benjj said:

It has completed the 1004 mile drive from my house in the Yorkshire Dales to my house in the south of France in 18.77 seconds.

Terrible disregard for safety at them speeds.

Actually I messed up my maths. It would cover the distance in 5.1 seconds.

London to New York in 19 seconds.

[Eric Mc]

They need to put up some speed camera close to the sun to stop this reckless cometary speeding.