Unseen comet's orbit indicates possible crash

[n2doc]

David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor

Thursday, July 28,


A stream of dusty fragments from a comet born in the outermost reaches of the solar system has hit the Earth on a path that leads astronomers to conclude the comet itself could be "potentially hazardous" if it crashes into the planet.

The comet's location is unknown, making it difficult to say when it will approach Earth, but "the orbits of the dust trail tells us that the comet is on a path that could eventually hit us," said Peter Jenniskens, an astronomer at the SETI Institute and the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View.

"It's very unlikely," he conceded Wednesday. "Such impacts are extremely rare in Earth's history."

The trail of dust grains, known as meteoroids, were shed by the comet long ago as it passed the sun and Earth on a long orbit that could have taken thousands of years to complete, Jenniskens said.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/27/BAR21KFRTC.DTL

[TygrBright]

1. Ooooo, a NEO scare! Haven't had one of them for awhile...

Haven't any blond young women been reported missing lately?

Shark attacks?

C'mon, you guys, it's the Silly Season, and this "debt" stuff is starting to bore people.

We gotta keep 'em scared!

wearily,
Bright

[formercia]

2. Or it could just be residue from one that hit Earth

65 Million Years ago and wiped out the Dinosaurs.

[gtar100]

3. And now it's coming to get us!

:scared: