Sky events in europe

[seeking]

I vaguely remember hearing about an event that is going to be witnessed from europe in the not so distant future (probably with in 5-15 years from now that will not happen again in our life time. I dont remember what kind of sky event it was though. I want to say solar eclipse but that just doesnt seem right. The other possibility is perhaps a comet that is going to travel as close as it ever has which wont be back for some time. I'm hoping that one of you will know what i am talking about and can help me find out more information. Thanks!

[Waspie_Dwarf]

That's an awfully big time span and not a lot to go on.

[seeking]

That's an awfully big time span and not a lot to go on.

i know, im hoping the "wont happen again in our lifetime" part will help narrow it down somewhat but i'v had a hell of a time trying to google it

[Waspie_Dwarf]

i know, im hoping the "wont happen again in our lifetime" part will help narrow it down somewhat but i'v had a hell of a time trying to google it

The trouble is there are a lot of "won't happen again in our life" time events that could be specific to one area of Europe but not another. I really don't think there is enough to go on here.

Are there an other details you can remember about this?

[seeking]

it was either some sort of solar eclipse or some sort of asteroid/comet that is going to play by which wont happen again for sometime. I first heard about it on a science channel show called "the universe" but i do not remember which episode it was on

[stevewinn]

it was either some sort of solar eclipse or some sort of asteroid/comet that is going to play by which wont happen again for sometime. I first heard about it on a science channel show called "the universe" but i do not remember which episode it was on

IF it was the new series of "the Universe" it was a asteroid i cant remember the name but its only going to be visible to the naked eye from europe and asia. and will swing by again 2,000 years later. or some similar time frame.

i think the episode was called 10 Ways to Destroy the Earth. or it fell from space. i cant remember to be honest.

Edited June 8, 2010 by stevewinn

[seeking]

IF it was the new series of "the Universe" it was a asteroid i cant remember the name but its only going to be visible to the naked eye from europe and asia. and will swing by again 2,000 years later. or some similar time frame.

i think the episode was called 10 Ways to Destroy the Earth. or it fell from space. i cant remember to be honest.

i think that is exactly what I am talking about, thanks for the information. I'll look more into it.

[danielost]

IF it was the new series of "the Universe" it was a asteroid i cant remember the name but its only going to be visible to the naked eye from europe and asia. and will swing by again 2,000 years later. or some similar time frame.

i think the episode was called 10 Ways to Destroy the Earth. or it fell from space. i cant remember to be honest.

this sounds like earths second moon. which has a 2000 year orbit.

[stevewinn]

this sounds like earths second moon. which has a 2000 year orbit.

does it?

well there is a comet visible to us right now. C-2009 R1 McNaught If you look towards the north-eastern sky before sunrise June 15, the recently discovered comet McNaught will be closest to Earth and visible to the naked eye.

The comet will appear as a dim and diffuse circular patch of light gliding through the constellation of Perseus in the northern sky.

It has been brightening rapidly as it approaches Earth for a 100-million-mile close encounter.

'Comet McNaught has a vivid green head and a long wispy tail that looks great through small telescopes. By the end of the month it could be visible to the naked eye perhaps as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper,

Edited June 12, 2010 by stevewinn

[danielost]

does it?

well there is a comet visible to us right now. C-2009 R1 McNaught If you look towards the north-eastern sky before sunrise June 15, the recently discovered comet McNaught will be closest to Earth and visible to the naked eye.

The comet will appear as a dim and diffuse circular patch of light gliding through the constellation of Perseus in the northern sky.

It has been brightening rapidly as it approaches Earth for a 100-million-mile close encounter.

'Comet McNaught has a vivid green head and a long wispy tail that looks great through small telescopes. By the end of the month it could be visible to the naked eye perhaps as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper,

if i remember to look on that night i will try to find it.

i stated it sounding like earths second moon because this body has a 2000 year orbit around the earth, i dont know where it is in its orbit. but when it comes in close it needs to be moving, and since it is just an astroid in a temp. orbit around the earth, 10 orbits if i remember. it might only be visable from the ground for a few hours. if it gets close enough,

[Waspie_Dwarf]

i stated it sounding like earths second moon because this body has a 2000 year orbit around the earth, i dont know where it is in its orbit. but when it comes in close it needs to be moving, and since it is just an astroid in a temp. orbit around the earth, 10 orbits if i remember. it might only be visable from the ground for a few hours. if it gets close enough,

Although the small asteroid 3753 Cruithne is some times (wrongly) called Earth's 2nd moon it is not in orbit around the Earth and so is not actually a satellite of the Earth. This title owes more to media sensationalism than scientific accuracy. It certainly does not have a 2,000 year orbit.

From Wikipedia:

Cruithne is in a normal elliptic orbit around the Sun. Its period of revolution around the Sun, approximately 364 days at present, is almost equal to that of the Earth. Because of this, Cruithne and Earth appear to "follow" each other in their paths around the Sun. This is why Cruithne is sometimes called "Earth's second moon". However, it does not orbit the Earth and is not a moon.

Read more...

Whatever the rights and wrongs about Cruithne being a satellite of Earth, it can not be this object that seeking is referring to. From the same Wikipedia article:

After 380 to 390 years or so, the kidney-bean-shaped orbit approaches Earth again from the other side, and the Earth, once more, alters the orbit of Cruithne so that its period of revolution around the Sun is again slightly less than a year (this last happened with a series of close approaches centred on 1902, and will next happen with a series centered on 2676). The pattern then repeats itself.

Read more...

[danielost]

Although the small asteroid 3753 Cruithne is some times (wrongly) called Earth's 2nd moon it is not in orbit around the Earth and so is not actually a satellite of the Earth. This title owes more to media sensationalism than scientific accuracy. It certainly does not have a 2,000 year orbit.

From Wikipedia:

Whatever the rights and wrongs about Cruithne being a satellite of Earth, it can not be this object that seeking is referring to. From the same Wikipedia article:

my mistake.

but there are all those rocks in the trojan spots of the moon.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

my mistake.

Not really your mistake Daniel. Cruithne has been widely (and wrongly) reported as a second moon.

but there are all those rocks in the trojan spots of the moon.

Not of Earth's moon's there aren't. Only 2 moons are known to have trojan companions, Tethys and Dione, both satellites of Saturn:

Two moons are known to have small companions at their L4 and L5 Lagrangian points, sixty degrees ahead and behind the body in its orbit. These companions are called Trojan moons, as their orbits are analogous to the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter. The Trojan moons are Telesto and Calypso, which are the leading and following companions respectively of Tethys; and Helene and Polydeuces, the leading and following companions of Dione. Read more...

Alternatively, you may be thinking of the Trojan's of Jupiter:

In astronomy, the adjective trojan refers to a minor planet or natural satellite (moon) that shares an orbit with a larger planet or moon, but does not collide with it because it orbits around one of the two Lagrangian points of stability, L4 and L5, which lie 60° ahead of and behind the larger body.

The term originally referred to the Trojan asteroids orbiting around Jupiter's Lagrangian points, and asteroids at the Lagrangian points of other planets may be called Lagrangian asteroids.[1] Subsequently objects have been found orbiting the Lagrangian points of Neptune and Mars. In addition, trojan moons are known to orbit the Lagrangian points of two of Saturn's mid-sized moons. Read more...

[danielost]

Not really your mistake Daniel. Cruithne has been widely (and wrongly) reported as a second moon.

Not of Earth's moon's there aren't. Only 2 moons are known to have trojan companions, Tethys and Dione, both satellites of Saturn:

Alternatively, you may be thinking of the Trojan's of Jupiter:

no i read that there were some in orbit around earth. cant find it now.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

no i read that there were some in orbit around earth. cant find it now.

There have been searches for such objects, but as far as I know none have been found, but these are At Earth's Lagrangian points, not the moons.

Edited June 12, 2010 by Waspie_Dwarf