Aphelion

[pallas_athena]

A new comet, discovered at the end of last year, may become visible to the naked eye in late June and early July.

The point at which any orbiting body is furthest from the Sun is its aphelion. Comets, with their hugely eccentric orbits, may pass far beyond the outer planets to spend their aphelion in the vast interstellar darkness beyond the Kuiper Belt. During this time they travel slowly; when they pass near planets, the gravitational pull will affect their speed; when they approach the Sun, they positively slingshot around it, tails streaming in the solar wind, picking up momentum for their long journey back into the outer dark.

(Earth itself will reach aphelion this year on 6 July. It seems strange that we'll be furthest from the Sun in the middle of summer, but that's where axial tilt will get you.)

If I haven't seen you in a while, blame celestial mechanics. It's very restful out here in the Oort Cloud.

Comments

[fairie-ring.livejournal.com]

It all makes me feel jolly small.

[larissa-00.livejournal.com]

*waves from the Kuiper Belt*

Might celestial mechanics take you to the Huntingdon medieval fair?

[library-keeper.livejournal.com]

Will the galactic tide bring you Earthwards some time soon? I miss you.