[meteorite-list] Comet 73P SW-3 Part II (was Visions, Morals, Religion, eBay, etc.)

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

Here's what I mean, courtesy of Don Yeomans'/JPL site,

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?ID=c00073_b;orb=1;cov=0#orb

The above ought to be a link to C/73P SW-3 (B component) picture of the 
current comet's orbit.  While it is not too accurate to extrapolate backwards on 
this fragment, they are similar and you get the idea if you go to November 2, 
1965, appropriately sizing the orbit graphic with the zoom, and you can see ho 
little tilt the orbit has, too.  Put today's date in, too, for fun:)

I just went outside again and did manage to see the B fragment now at its 
closest approach to us in Cygnus the Swan under the Full Moon with a 2 inch 
refractor, typical low power terrestrial sighting scope at 20X.  The comet fragment 
is booking dipping downward thats for sure - moving, and I'm guessing, nearly 
a full Moon diameter every three hours against the star background.  That is 
big time, really impressive, but the show is so meek as the comet was so hard 
to see under these conditions I am still seeing cross-eyed and stiff necked.  
I suspect if this fragmented B-lot were to slam into Earth right now it 
wouldn't even be much of an earth shattering event except in the meteorite and 
astrophotography community.

Saludos, Doug
PS the B fragment is approximately as bright as the C fragment (officially 
barely naked eye, though I think that exaggeration applies to Cyclops) which 
supposedly is the largest while B fragments are #2 mass, but really who knows, 
from the looks of it, B is probably just a few wet piles of gravel at this 
point...