UFOs may be a bit far fetched, but this week there is something else coming from outer space. The Comet PanSTARRS can be seen in western skies this week. To learn more about the science behind the spectacle, KALW's Ben Trefny spoke with Urban Astronomer Paul Salazar.
PAUL SALAZAR: Right now, as we [on Earth] are moving, we're traveling at about 65,000 miles per hour. So anything that happens to be in our way, we're gonna impact at that kind of a speed. What's happening with all of these asteroids is they, too, are in orbit around the sun, just like we are. … In the case of Russia last month, they estimate an average of 20 or 30,000 miles per hour impact. The good news is that the truly deadly ones, we generally know about in advance – and we're tracking about 1,400 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Head to the coast for an unobstructed view of the Comet PanSTARRS. Then tell us about it! Share your sighting experience on our Facebook page.
