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Return of the comet Encke


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The periodic comet 2P/Encke imaged in January 23, 2017 returns to inner Solar System in present apparition with perihelion in next March. The comet has already fired its gassy emission making a coma that reach some 6'  of angular diameter in this image (350.000 Km in absolute terms) and with an intense green color wich point to a strong emission of diatomic carbon. The tail will belate a pair of weeks in begin its development, when the comet will start to be observable with binoculars.

Click on image to see better:
2P_170123_1200.jpg
Planewave 20" CDK 2280mm f/4.5 & FLI-PL11002M (L:4×120s Bin1+ RGB:1x60s Bin2) from Mayhill, New Mexico

Post: http://cometografia.es/2p-encke-20170123/

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As comets have cyanogen in them - especially their tails - it would likely smell like almonds. C2N2 is the simplest form of the well-known group of molecules commonly called 'cyanides.' And cyanides smell like almonds or bitter-almonds.

Inhaling cyanide gas is rather inadvisable. It's what was used in gas-chambers. That's hydrogen cyanide though, but cyanogen is known to smell about the same. I've worked with cyanides in laboratories, and can confirm they usually have this odor.

Dave

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