Sunday, February 8, 2009

On February 24th this year I hope to be lying in a hospital bed with my head swathed in bandages. Either that or unconscious, but no long term coma I need to be up and about in a day or two either Thursday or Friday that week.

Why you ask?

Its all due to this:



It's called Comet Lulin and NASA is saying its green colour comes from the gases that make up its Jupiter-sized atmosphere. Jets spewing from the comet's nucleus contain cyanogen, a poisonous gas found in many comets and diatomic carbon. Both substances glow green when illuminated by sunlight in the near vacuum of space.

That's all very well, but I recall another green light linked to a comet.

"...the Earth's orbit passed through a cloud of comet debris. You can even believe it if you like -millions did....
....it was reported in the news-bulletins during the day that mysterious bright green flashes had been seen..."

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

So while normally the_Weapon and I would drive up to the hills to check it out with the reflecting telescope.

Not this time.

This time,

Don't Watch the Skies.







10 comments:

  1. I loved The Day Of The Triffids. Thank Christ for Whipper Snippers and brush cutters now but...

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  2. I don't think the affect would be as wide spread as you think - 99% of the population wouldn't be interested enough to stop watching American Idol or Farmer wants a wife.
    We would only lose the intelligentsia and they are a dying breed anyway.

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  3. God bless flame throwers....and crap on the idiot box. We shall survive!

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  4. That is why I live by the sea, They don't like salt water.

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  5. Hmm...never heard of the show "Farmer wants a wife." I know very little of science, so I'll do as told. If you say to stay away, I will. But on the 24th I'll be only three days away from Spring Break, so forgive me if I flash people.

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  6. Unless i'm out drunkenly treading the streets I'm now too old to go out and look at the stars..too cynical as well!

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  7. The BBC are doing a new version of Day Of The Triffids. The one from the 80's was pretty faithful to the novel and I still have it on VHS. I first read the book as a young teen and loved it. I rated it with War of the Worlds.
    Once again your vigilance is saving lives.

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  8. Aaaagggghhhh!!! My eyes!!!!

    Crap, 12 days early. Must have been the salt from some sweat in my eyes.

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  9. And look what happened when the planet passed through a comet's tale in MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!
    BTW, there you are! I've been looking for you.

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  10. Gawd, this'll be worse than Hale-Bopp.

    Also, for a dramatic interpretation of the classic film of 'Day of the Triffids', may I direct your attention to this...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7uIC-6RS-I

    Yep, that's what The Wah and I do on holidays. ;)

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