Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Version 1.0 Netnews CMS/BITNET 5/19/85; site PSUVM.BITNET Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!cmu-cs-pt!cadre!psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!gms From: GMS@psuvm.BITNET Newsgroups: net.aviation,net.astro Subject: Re: Something else to watch out for! Message-ID: <1880GMS@psuvm> Date: Mon, 24-Jun-85 15:28:03 EDT Article-I.D.: psuvm.1880GMS Posted: Mon Jun 24 15:28:03 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 29-Jun-85 01:42:06 EDT References: <11270@brl-tgr.ARPA<1199@phoenix.UUCP> <1679@amdahl.UUCP> 674@lsuc.UUCP Lines: 20 Xref: watmath net.aviation:1692 net.astro:704 I remember reading that the 'small, dead' comet that supposedly created the 1908 explosion, was hypothesized to be a fragment from Encke's Comet. This comet is a small one with a period of about 3.5 years and with an orbit that crosses that of the Earth. Having observed it a number of years ago (late 1970's) I can testify that it is very difficult to see (although I only used an 8-inch scope). Most comets are of this category, not even becomming of naked-eye visibility. Consider IRAS-Araki-Alcock (in 1983) which came very close to the Earth, and was not a very spectacular sight. (At least to non-astronomer types) Since this one was estimated at about 1 mile diameter and about 6 million miles away it would not have taken much deviation in its orbit to have a spectacular effec t on the Earth. Gerry Santoro Penn State University . . . !psuvax1!santoro (uucp) . . . !psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!gms (uucp-bitnet gateway)