Hey Space Placers!
To follow up from yesterday, check out NASA's video on HST photographing Comet ISON:
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/24apr_hubbleison/
Comet ISON has been producing large amounts of dust even when it was out beyond Jupiter. At one point it was estimated that the comet was shedding 112,000 pounds of dust a MINUTE! I am sure that rate has gone up and will continue to do so as the comet comes ever closer to the Sun.
As a result of that shedding and the effect of the Sun on the dust, it is expected that the Earth will pas through this dust in January 2014. Normally this would mean a meteor shower but the dust grains are so small they will not burn up in our atmosphere.
Instead they will remain aloft for some time and perhaps produce some high altitude electric blue colored clouds called noctilucent clouds. These are amazing to see - I have never seen one - but hope that Comet ISON will give me my first view ever.
Read More About It: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/19apr_isonids/
Sky Guy in VA
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