73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann - the "psychic dooms day" comet

Component "B" - May 04, 13x2 minutes starting at 2241 UT - combined into one image using Maxim median clipping - click at the image for full resolution.

Photo : Søren N, Jacob and Bo.

Component "B" - April 27, 5x3 minutes starting at 2132 UT - click at the image for full resolution.

Component "C" - April 27, 5x3 minutes starting at 2156 UT - click at the image for full resolution.

Component "C" - April 18, 5x3 minutes starting at 2000 UT - click at the image for full resolution.

During the 1995 as well as the present appearance - this comet did break up into small pieces - presently nearly 60 fragments are known.

This faint comet has been known since 1930 - and will have a close passage to our planet Earth during the first days of May 2006 :

click at the image for a JAVA simulation

Irrespective of numerous "precise psychic predictions" that the World will end on May 25 - there is however NO risc of collision - not even an enhanced risc for meteor showers

---

Additional details - Gary W. Kronk

Predicted Magnitude - expected to be better than 4.0

Sky & Telescope Article

Hubble Space Telescope photos of comet breakup.

The images at this AGS.dk page are copyfree : provided the observatory at EUC Syd and AGS Sonderborg is mentioned, linked and informed.

Leif Moeller and Mogens Winther - Canon EOS 10D - attached to 5" APO.