Earth set to have a close encounter with Comet Hartley 2
October 4th, 2010 - 1:43 am ICT by Aishwarya BhattOct 3 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The earth will have a really “close” encounter with a comet called “Comet Hartley 2″ on Oct. 20. The comet will pass just over 11 million miles from planet earth and the spectacle can be witnessed with even naked eye at the darkest of skies.
The earth’s encounter with comets is not rare. Every year, about a dozen comets come near the earth but most of these encounters can only be witnessed with at least an amateur telescope. However the event that is set to take place in barely three weeks can be viewed with small telescopes and binoculars because of the closeness of the comet to the planet. Comets are composed of rock, water ice, frozen gases and dust.
They have irregular shapes because of their low mass. Comets are sometimes described as “dirty snowballs” but recent studies have proved that the ice is often hidden inside the comet, revealing dry, dusty or rocky surfaces.
After its encounter with earth, the Deep Impact spacecraft will visit the Comet Hartley 2 in early November for observation.
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Tags: amateur telescope, binoculars, close encounter, closeness, comet, comets, deep impact, deep impact spacecraft, dirty snowballs, early november, encounter with earth, frozen gases, irregular shapes, low mass, million miles, naked eye, planet earth, rock water, rocky surfaces, water ice