A question for the Bad Astronomer

[Dragonrock]

I was looking on your site and I couldn't find a recent update on the location of Planet X. In order for it to pass us in May, how far away would it be and how large would it appear in the sky?

 

[arcticpenguin]

I saw something, I think in Skeptical Inquirer. Planet X is now clearly visible. Look up and you should be able to see it. Of course the government conspiracy will try to cover it up by telling you it is something else (perhaps a weather balloon?)

 

[Dancing David]

Gee i wonder why none of the comet watchers have put in the claim to name it first.
Peace
dancing David

 

[The Bad Astronomer]

This page has a table I created calculating how far away it should be. Right now, as I write this, it should be 100 million km away or so.

Nancy has her own table of distances versus time at her site, but she has it accelerating to 1% the speed of light in the last week before perihelion. The amount of energy needed to accelerate it to that speed in one week is about equal to the amount the Sun emits in 12,000 years, and could vaporize the Earth a million times over. You can guess how I feel about that.

 

[RichardR]

Nancy has her own table of distances versus time at her site, but she has it accelerating to 1% the speed of light in the last week before perihelion.

If it was going that fast, wouldn’t it slingshot out of the solar system for ever?

 

[Dragonrock]

You know, it sucks when a good conspiracy theory is messed up by facts and physics.

Thanks Phil!