Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Comet-Sun Impact Caught On Video

Posted by timothy on from the comet-denies-responsibility dept.

jomegat writes "NASA has released footage captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) showing a comet slamming into the surface of the sun. The impact created a huge splash as seen on the video, but the impact at the surface was blocked by an occluding disk that allows the SDO to image the sun's corona. It's still very impressive though!"

61 comments

  1. Finally!!! by vikisonline · · Score: 1

    Something interesting, scientific, and one no one can uselessly argue about :D Feels fresh slashdot!

    1. Re:Finally!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Some asshat on facebook complained that the sun doesn't have a surface, so ya know that nullifies your statement right there.

    2. Re:Finally!!! by jc42 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Some asshat on facebook complained that the sun doesn't have a surface, ...

      Similarly, if you look closely enough at what appears to be your (skin) surface, you'll find that in reality it's nothing more substantive than a fuzzy cloud of electrons. Small neutral particles of about the same size as the electrons (neutrons, neutrinos, etc.) have no problem with this "surface", and pass through it as if it didn't exist.

      Whether something has a "surface" depends a lot on your definition of the term.

      --
      Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
    3. Re:Finally!!! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Similarly, if you look closely enough at what appears to be your (skin) surface, you'll find that in reality it's nothing more substantive than a fuzzy cloud of electrons. Small neutral particles of about the same size as the electrons (neutrons, neutrinos, etc.) have no problem with this "surface", and pass through it as if it didn't exist.

      I knew that.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:Finally!!! by arisvega · · Score: 1

      Yea yea, we all saw the tweet

      --
      The three laws of thermodynamics:(1) You can't win. (2) You can't break even. (3) You can't even quit.
    5. Re:Finally!!! by arisvega · · Score: 1

      complained that the sun doesn't have a surface

      Oh, c'mon, it does have a surface- granted, no sharp boundaries are seen, and you will probably not hear a glass shattering sound when something impacts, but stilldensity between below and above the photosphere is orders of magnitude appart.

      --
      The three laws of thermodynamics:(1) You can't win. (2) You can't break even. (3) You can't even quit.
    6. Re:Finally!!! by xkuehn · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Small neutral particles of about the same size as the electrons (neutrons, neutrinos, etc.)

      Let us do a quick Google search on that.

      Neutrinos and electrons are regarded as fundamental particles with zero volume -- which may not be correct -- (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_particle), so they would have the same size. Neutrons have measurable volume (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron), so "about the same" is entirely wrong.

      If we suppose you mean mass, then we get a rest mass of about 10^-30 kg for the electron and at most 10^-36 kg for the neutrino (http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/32861) and around 10^-27 kg for the neutron (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron), making you off by many orders of magnitude.

      I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist your sig.

    7. Re:Finally!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      neutrons aren't the same size as electrons or neutrinos.

  2. Surface? by mark-t · · Score: 0

    Don't they mean atmosphere?

    I'm pretty sure that the notion of surface only applies to the solid and liquid states of matter. The sun has neither.

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    1. Re:Surface? by vikisonline · · Score: 1

      oh gawd, I was wrong! lol

    2. Re:Surface? by jc42 · · Score: 1

      So let this be a lesson to you. Don't challenge scientists (real or wannabe) by saying that they can't find a way to disagree. Scientists are experts at disagreeing with each other; it's a basic part of what they do. Any competent scientist can come up with several incompatible "explanations" of any phenomenon. (The important part is that they can also apply for grants to test all the explanations. ;-)

      --
      Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
    3. Re:Surface? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who would those people be?

      Plenty of criticism on IPCC at wikipedia, nothing similar to what you claim.

    4. Re:Surface? by Opyros · · Score: 1

      Even an abstract geometrical solid such as a cylinder or a tetrahedron has a "surface"; I don't see why the Sun can't also.

    5. Re:Surface? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's like talking about the surface of a cloud. When you're far away there is little disagreement about such a concept. When you're at the edge of a fog though, the concept of a surface is seemingly lost.

      Vantage point people; lets stop talking in absolutes.

    6. Re:Surface? by GumphMaster · · Score: 4, Informative

      The term "surface" when used in relation to the Sun is used to mean the place from which the majority of photons we see are emitted; known as the photosphere. That surface is defined to be at optical depth 2/3 (a photon, on average, escapes without scattering off a particle). It is a fuzzy boundary, varying in depth with wavelength of light, but it is a small range in comparison to the size of a star.

      --
      Patent litigation: A doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction... in which everyone seems willing to push the button
    7. Re:Surface? by Shark · · Score: 1

      Professor Paul Reiter is an example of people who had to threaten to sue the IPCC for claiming that he agrees with their claims. That's the only way he managed to get off the list. His 'contribution' to the IPCC report was that warming is unlikely to lead to the spread of malaria to northern regions. They ignored his report but still listed him as one agreeing to their claim that malaria *would* move north until he finally managed to get his name removed.

      --
      Mind the frickin' laser...
  3. Not quite as advertised by artor3 · · Score: 4, Informative

    The "huge splash" is an unrelated coronal mass ejection. There is no actual splash, or "collision" in the sense we would imagine it. Which should be obvious when you stop to think about it, because the Sun is really freaking hot. The comet evaporated when it got too close.

    Still, a pretty cool video. It's always cool to see how tiny things look when they get close to the Sun. In the first video, you'll probably have to watch it a few times before you even notice the comet.

    1. Re:Not quite as advertised by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      You'd think the submitter would have figured out they were unrelated when the CME happened before the comet got near the sun....

    2. Re:Not quite as advertised by onepoint · · Score: 1

      You are correct, it took about 10 viewings before I even realized that it's vaporizing.

      I was hoping for more but I will say this, It's a first. and I hope we capture more of them.

      --
      if you see me, smile and say hello.
    3. Re:Not quite as advertised by Evil.Bonsai · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but it happens all the time. That was a Kreutz-family comet; known as a sun-grazer. Happens all the time.

    4. Re:Not quite as advertised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I believe he's referring to the footage:

      "For the first time ever, SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory) captured a 20-minute movie of the comet streaking directly in front of the sun."

    5. Re:Not quite as advertised by Evil.Bonsai · · Score: 1

      OK, it was a FIRST in that SDO actually saw it streaking in front of the sun. No impact, though as they pretty much always evaporate. Maybe a larger piece will come along one day and it WILL impact, but that isn't too likely

    6. Re:Not quite as advertised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Impact what? Denser plasma? can you impact a plasma? or even a gas?

    7. Re:Not quite as advertised by Bill+Currie · · Score: 4, Informative

      Go fast enough, and even the extremely rarefied gases in interstellar space might as well be a brick wall.

      --

      Bill - aka taniwha
      --
      Leave others their otherness. -- Aratak

    8. Re:Not quite as advertised by Geirzinho · · Score: 1

      As a skydiver, I can testify to the fact that you can "impact" a gas:)

    9. Re:Not quite as advertised by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The CME is probably unrelated, but that is not definite either. The solar corona is dominated by magnetism (which extends really far out), and the comet probably disturbs the field as it approaches. There have been other interesting comet incursions with closely timed eruptions & CMEs, but that could be coincidence.

      The comet was heated and also appears to be shredded by the magnetic field.
      I will make an AIA running difference movie to make the comet more visible as it plows across the disk of the Sun.
      What is really significant is that this is the first time we have actually observed a comet as it crosses/crashes the disk. This is due to the fact that SDO/AIA has high temporal resolution/cadence.

      One thing that is pretty interesting is that the first movie is 171Å (17.1nm), which is an extreme ultraviolet Fe IX (Iron 9) emission line.
      Why is the comet showing up at all? That is what is puzzling a lot of us... My guess is reflection and some strong ionization.

      Lastly, the LASCO coronographs on SOHO have been the greatest comet "discoverers" of all time. We see comets going by all the time.

    10. Re:Not quite as advertised by CarbonShell · · Score: 1

      Well, considering the size of the sun (not to mention the 'comet') it is quite big.
      Though I am not geek enough to know much about astrophysics, I wonder what would happen if that splash would be oriented at our little blue planet?

      But I find the size of the 'comet' even more frightening. That thing must have been huge and if they are floating around in our star system, that is quite scary.

    11. Re:Not quite as advertised by Kuruk · · Score: 1

      Kinda of like Fly vs Car windscreen.

      Game over.

  4. Impact? Uhh... by Cl1mh4224rd · · Score: 0

    The summary is almost entirely unrelated to actual page being linked to. No impact... no "huge splash".

    Get rid of timothy, Slashdot. He's worthless.

    --
    People will pass up steak once a week, for crap every day.
    1. Re:Impact? Uhh... by Anonymous+Freak · · Score: 1

      Also get rid of jomegat for writing the completely wrong and hyped-up headline and story.

      --
      Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
      The purpose of that site was not known.
  5. One day you'll look to see I've gone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For tomorrow may rain, so I'll slam into the sun

    1. Re:One day you'll look to see I've gone by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 4, Funny

      There's a little black spot on the sun today.
      It's the same old thing as yesterday.

    2. Re:One day you'll look to see I've gone by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

      Oh great now I am going to be depressed all weekend...

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
    3. Re:One day you'll look to see I've gone by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      Don't let the sun splash on me...

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  6. Video? What video? by jc42 · · Score: 1

    When I follow that link and try to download the video, I get a message saying "The player cannot load the requested video. The player does not have permission. Message ID: UVP05004".

    This is with several different browsers (FF, Safari, Opera) on my Macbook Pro. Anyone know how to make it work?

    --
    Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
  7. Inaccurate Summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The article makes no mention of a surface impact. Just that the comet passes so close to the sun that it evaporates.

  8. We know who to blame by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

    The comet crashed, it's all Obama's fault! :D

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    1. Re:We know who to blame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, it should be blamed on the PREVIOUS administration, since they screwed everything up so badly, even the comets got knocked off orbit.

  9. I watched it 8 times by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and didn't see anything. The definition of insanity is suddenly occupying my thoughts...

    1. Re:I watched it 8 times by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      After watching it full screen I saw it, but it was one of the most underwhelming videos I have seen in a while.

    2. Re:I watched it 8 times by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Sorry that science isn't like some Matrix film. Maybe they can do a bullet time effect on the next one to keep fucktards like you interested, you fucking cunt.

  10. Re:Video? What video? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is a second web-page, with a second "Download" link. Try that one. I used Namoroka (which also does not like Adobe Flash Player 10 Plugin.

  11. SOHO Video? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Are there any images of this from SOHO or any other Sun inspecting satellites?

    1. Re:SOHO Video? by oneiros27 · · Score: 1

      Um ... 'LASCO' is the coronograph package on SOHO.

      Since the launch of SDO, as AIA has a 12 second cadence for each of its EUV channels, EIT (the EUV full disk telescopes on SOHO) have been turned down to a minimal cadence (6hrs) so there's a long-term record from the same instrument, but there aren't any science planners for it anymore.

      So, to answer the question -- yes.

      (Note -- I work for the Solar Data Analysis Center, the primary U.S. archive for SOHO data, and I'm in the same hallway as the remaining full-time SOHO operators (all two of 'em ... it's like a ghost town, even with their consolidating our two groups last year))

      --
      Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
  12. Huge splash? by oneiros27 · · Score: 3, Informative

    The closest thing I've seen to a 'splash' was during the June 7th CME, where a significant amount of the eruption didn't escape the sun's gravity:

    http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/potw.php?v=item&id=54

    For the comet, though ... no splash. And they haven't finished the final processing of the last bit of the comet's track across the sun, so I haven't seen it 'evaporate' as others have mentioned.

    (Disclaimer: I'm not a solar physicist, but I work for the Solar Data Analysis Center, and on the distribution systems for SDO data)

    --
    Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
    1. Re:Huge splash? by Bazer · · Score: 1

      That is spectacular! The scale is just mind-boggling! I can't begin to imagine what would it be like if we were right above it. Thank you for sharing. I think I need to lie down.

  13. Possible corrections by GrumblyStuff · · Score: 2

    See?! It's global warming!

    That's not related to climates!

    The TSA would have never prevented a comet from killing Americans!

    We wouldn't have known about it without waterboarding or wiretaps!

    News of the World is just trying to fabricate "news" again.

  14. Sounds like a scandal by ddocjohn · · Score: 1

    Don't they know the little red light means the camera is on?

  15. Awesome video by MacGyver2210 · · Score: 1

    Where can I just get a live feed of the SOHO coronograph camera?

    --
    If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits
  16. The sun is scared now by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 1

    And there is more where that came from!

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  17. Comet versus sun. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Fatality. Sun wins.

  18. Clearly Photoshopped. by Chardansearavitriol · · Score: 3, Funny

    We learned in Final Fantasy 7 that a comet impacting the sun would cause a supernova. Which I assure you we would have noticed.

  19. Aliens by frisket · · Score: 1

    the impact at the surface was blocked by an occluding disk

    Damn. The alien spacecraft ejected and escaped before impact. Now we'll never find them.

  20. It doesn't exist. (Live feed from SOHO) by oneiros27 · · Score: 1

    SOHO is at L1, and they don't have a space weather stream like STEREO or SDO (well, SDO's in geosyncronous orbit, and has its own ground stations, so it all comes down in near real time)

    But you can get the most recent LASCO images from the SOHO website:

    http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html

    --
    Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
  21. Earth sized comet? by Stan92057 · · Score: 1

    Anyone notice how large that comet was? Earth sized? 100 earth stretch across the suns surface.

    --
    Jack of all trades,master of none
    1. Re:Earth sized comet? by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1

      We don't see the comet itself in the video, just its tail. I'd imagine that the comet would produce a rather large tail close to the sun due to violent outgassing, plus comet comas/tails tend to be much larger than the comet itself (notably, in 2007 17P/Holmes briefly had a coma that appeared to be larger than the sun, with an actual diameter larger than the distance between Earth and the Moon; the comet itself was nowhere near as large as that).

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  22. is this the start of an anomoly? by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

    what happens when a comet hits the sun dead on, are there repercussions that can be felt everywhere, extra solar sprays etc...that would maybe affect us here on earth???

    1. Re:is this the start of an anomoly? by WildBlueYonder · · Score: 1

      No, the sun is a very, very large system that is much too powerful to be perturbed in a meaningful way by a collision of that size.