Visitors Now:
Total Visits:
Total Stories:
Profile image
Story Views

Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

NASA | Why are we seeing so many sungrazing comets?

Sunday, December 30, 2012 16:11
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

(Before It's News)

Before 1979, there were less than a dozen known sungrazing comets. As of December 2012, we know of 2,500. Why did this number increase? With solar observatories like SOHO, STEREO, and SDO, we have not only better means of viewing the sun, but also the comets that approach it. SOHO allows us to see smaller, fainter comets closer to the sun than we have ever been able to see before. Even though many of these comets do not survive their journey past the sun, they survive long enough to be observed, and be added to our record of sungrazing comets.

 

Join the search at: http://sungrazer.nrl.navy.mil

Source: NASAexplorer

Featured image: On Dec. 15, 2011, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured footage of Comet Lovejoy approaching the sun. The images and data collected by NASA’s solar observing fleet can help scientists learn more about the sun itself. (Credit: NASA/Goddard Scientific Visual Studio)

NASA | Why are we seeing so many sungrazing comets?



Source:

Report abuse

Comments

Your Comments
Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

Top Stories
Recent Stories

Register

Newsletter

Email this story
Email this story

If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.