Counting Comets

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a joint mission between ESA (the European Space Agency) and NASA, was not designed to find comets — its original goal was to study the Sun from its deep core to the outer layers of its atmosphere. But nearly 25 years since its launch, data from this space-based solar observatory has led to the discovery of well over half of all known comets — upwards of 3,950 new comets found. The huge number of SOHO-discovered comets comes thanks to a combination of well-designed instruments, a long lifespan, the hard work of citizen scientists and a little bit of luck.

Music credit: Birds in The Rain by Robert Guerrier

Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Karl Battams (Naval Research Laboratory): Lead Scientist
Genna Duberstein (ADNET): Lead Producer
Genna Duberstein (ADNET): Animator
Scott Wiessinger (USRA): Narrator
Genna Duberstein (ADNET): Writer

Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

[akilr]

@nasa Could you put the link to spot those comets please?

[nikolaosathanasiou]

Όλα τα θέματα που παρουσιάζεται είναι υπέροχα, αλλά δεν είναι υπέροχα τα αγγλικά μας για να το παρακολουθήσουμε!

[mariadaluzmoutinho]

As caudas dos cometas são uma marca de referência e para notarmos a sua passagem no Universo!! Porque nos fascinam tanto e nós despertam uma grande curiosidade no momento?? É um clarão que se acende no nosso cérebro dada a sua beleza distante!!

[mariadaluzmoutinho]

Uma missão que se tornou um meio para ver cometas sem querer!! A abordagem interdisciplinar é de facto para sublinhar ...É assim umas missões vão descobrindo outros corpos no Cosmos e os cometas são de facto impressionantes ...com a sua cauda brilhante e com velocidade, para onde irão?? Será que os conseguimos ver outra vez?? A sorte recompensa os audazes!!Quando passa um cometa é a completa sublimação de algo fenomenal !!

[alexanderbudianto]

SOHO: Imma discover these comets so that my name will be used on almost ALL of these comets.

[phuktard]

A ball of ice? Granted there is H2O in the tails of comets - Philae's data has not confirmed any ice on the surface of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko other than traces. Ya think that we can stop referring to the incorrect theory that was proposed when we assumed the Milky Way was the whole universe.

[TSKnowledge]

amazing. watch this channel for science videos

[kaseyleitchnextgen]

Team Umizoomi’s character was way better than that. Otherwise it’d be very boring indeed.