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The science behind the big freeze
Updated / Wednesday, 9 May 2018
09:05
When Siberian gusts come to Ireland
If you think it s bad in Ireland today, be thankful you re not on Venus
The so-called Beast from the East has arrived on our doorsteps, bringing unusually cold weather – about 7°C colder than the historical average for this time of year. Wind chill is making temperatures feel particularly arctic. So how did the Siberian gusts come to arrive on Europe s doorstep?
The movement of air across the globe, and the weather it brings with it, is governed by three major influences: gravity, the sun, and something called the Coriolis effect. The influence of gravity is simple, constantly pulling air towards the Earth s surface.
Mr Boonplod discovered the comet thanks to the NASA-funded Sungrazer Project - a citizen science project which allows anyone to search for hurtling comets.
Analysis from the US space agency showed the comet was travelling at a staggering 450,000 miles per hour.
It was some 2.7 million miles from the surface of the Sun when it was first discovered.
NASA said the comet was around 50 feet in diameter about the length of a semitruck.
Comet seen by NASA plunging towards Sun during solar eclipse (Image: GETTY - NASA)
The comet approaching the Sun (Image: NASA)
The Thai amateur astronomer discovered the comet just a day before the eclipse.
The comet was first discovered on September 21 by South African astronomer Nicolas Erasmus, hence the name.
Astronomer Gerald Rhemann snapped an image of the distant comet on the morning of November 20, which shows it has a beautiful green glow about it.
Mr Rhemann said: “The tail is magnificent. In fact, I couldn’t fit it in a single field of view. This two-panel composite shows the first 3 degrees–and it keeps going well past the edge of the photo.”
Asteroids, comets and meteors (Image: EXPRESS)
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However, some scientists have warned comets will become increasingly difficult to see with the naked eye.