Neowise has an orbit of almost 6800 years, meaning that the last generation of people to see it would have lived during the 5th millennium BC.
Articles on Comets
Displaying 41 - 60 of 103 articles
In medieval times natural phenomena, such as comets and eclipses, were regarded as portents of natural disasters, including plagues.
How do people in a special airplane flight get to float like there is no gravity – just like astronauts? An aerospace engineer explains.
Meet Arrokoth – one of the first generation of solar system objects.
A big year ahead for some of the meteor showers this year. Here’s your 2020 guide on when and where to look to catch nature’s fireworks.
‘The size, the grandeur, the peacefulness of being in the dark’: what it’s like to study space at Siding Spring Observatory
The Conversation, CC BY54.3 MB (download)
Three hours north-east of Parkes lies a remote astronomical research facility, unpolluted by city lights, where researchers are trying to unlock some of the biggest questions about our Universe.
The constant pressure of gravity affects our thoughts and perception, but it’s so constant we haven’t noticed – until now.
The source of water on Earth, the Moon and planets in our solar system is hotly debated. Some in the planetary science community argued that it came from asteroids and comets. Now they have proof.
Meteorites might look like boring bits of rock – but each one has a fascinating story.
A psychologist explains why we should accept that we will never live in the Anthropocene.
Moonlight will spoil some of the big meteor showers this year, but still plenty of others to see. So here’s your guide on when and where to look to catch nature’s fireworks.
The comet 46P/Wirtanen is just 1.2km in size but it should be visible in the night sky this Saturday as it makes a close approach to Earth this year. And don’t forget the Geminids meteor shower.
A bright comet visible in December provides an excellent viewing opportunity for night sky lovers – even potentially with the naked eye.
Expect a spectacular display of 120 or more meteors per hour – some of them brightly coloured.
Without the scientific knowledge we have today, ancient cultures turned to myths and legends to understand celestial objects.
Dust can be instructive. The analysis of those collected around the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko provided new information on the history of the solar system.
Your guide to some of the best meteor showers for 2018. Where to look and when in both the northern and southern skies to catch nature’s fireworks.
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New research reveals the true nature of ‘Oumuamua, the cigar-shaped rock that recently visited Earth’s solar system.
Having discovered an asteroid from outside the solar system for the first time, scientists are hoping there are more out there – illuminating the path to extrasolar worlds.
A guide to meteor showers – what to look out for and when.
Top contributors
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Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland
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Senior Curator (Astronomy), Museums Victoria Research Institute; The University of Melbourne
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Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences, The Open University
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Research Associate, The Open University
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Lecturer, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology
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Postdoctoral Fellow in Planetary Sciences, NASA
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Co-Director Space Technology and Industry Institute, Swinburne University of Technology
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Professor of Astrophysics, Queen's University Belfast
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Director of the Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University
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Professor of Planetary Sciences, The Open University
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Assistant Professor, Michigan State University
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Lecturer in Ancient History, Cardiff University
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Professor of Petrology, Queensland University of Technology
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Adjunct professor, UNSW
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Reader in Planetary Science, UCL