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**Dubl R 1** · 07-13-2010, 10:54 AM

U mean the summer of 1910 T?

**tornado** · 07-13-2010, 12:08 PM

yup -- when I was finishing my undergrad work, I took several grad level astronomy courses, and still have an interest in some of this stuff.....

the "event" that flattened a large part of Tunguska in Russia in 1908 was quite possibly a comet or meteor that struck the earth with a glancing blow (@100,000 mph) thus creating an enormous shock wave and destruction but no actual fragments reached the ground as the comet then glanced off our upper atmosphere generating a massive shock but then went off into space afterward.
To this day there is dispute even among experts as to what caused this destruction..

Tunguska event - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event

When Halley's comet approached two years later there was still fear it could hit the earth, or kill people because we'd be passing through the tail.

Of course that was in the really early years of movie making, but numerous obscure movies about comets and collisions with earth were made..

Cally's Comet (Short 1911) | Short, Drama

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161362/

Cally's Comet: With William Garwood. May Deering is the daughter of a celebrated astronomer who is more interested in the heavens than he is in his daughter's sweetheart, Jack Webster. In fact, he holds not a tiny jot of interest when the latter calls one evening to see the ideal of his dreams. This ideal takes Jack's ejectment from the house very much to heart, and with her sweetheart she plans that it shall not happen again, but that Jack shall see her again, for all that. So next day Jack enters in the costume and make-up of the dignified star gazer, and is heartily welcomes by his "brother astronomer," Prof. Deering, who is proud to see from the visitor's card that he is: "Graf Heinrich von Twiller, A.M.B.C., Professor of Astronomy, University of Bauergarten." Prof. Deering rushes the visitor to his observatory and discusses all the recent discoveries with him, finally inviting him to look through his telescope. The visiting astronomer takes a peep and pretends to find something very unusual. He pulls Prof. Deering to the instrument, but the latter searches in vain for the unusual signs Von Twiller says he noticed. While Prof. Deering is busy at the telescope his visitor becomes busy kissing his daughter, and each time Deering takes an extra peep, the visitor takes an extra kiss. Prof. Deering leaves his visitor for a moment, and the latter reveals a paint pot and brush that he had "sneaked" in with him. Grabbing the outer lens of the telescope he paints the design of a comet on it, and when old Deering comes back and puts his eye to the instrument again, he dances with joy at what he sees. Then he rushes out to summon his friends to glimpse at the marvelous sight. May and the visitor laugh heartily, and the latter pulls off his spectacles and whiskers. Prof. Deering then pops in, to see his "brother astronomer" revealed as Jack Webster, and orders him from the house. At this point the servant brings in the delegation of scientists who have responded to Prof. Deering's invitation to see the comet, but with the aid of a cloth and water, Jack has erased it from the lens. Prof. Deering collapses when he finds the comet no longer apparent. Then Jack does his best work and promises the Professor that he will replace the comet and save him from disgrace at the hands of his fellow scientists if he will consent to May's marrying him. The Professor says "Yes." His good name is saved to him and May is saved to Jack.

The Comet (Short 1910) ⭐ 3.5 | Short, Drama, Sci-Fi

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270285/

11m

How Scroggins Found the Comet (Short 1910) | Short, Comedy

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0257771/

How Scroggins Found the Comet: Directed by David Aylott. With Charles Bolton. Scroggins buys a telescope and is fooled with a boy's rockets.

oddly I own a video copy of this one...from 1951, and guess what -- it's being re-made right now and will be out in 2012!

When Worlds Collide (1951) ⭐ 6.6 | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044207/

1h 23m | G

When Worlds Collide | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455856/

When Worlds Collide: Directed by Stephen Sommers. A rogue planet is discovered on a collision course for Earth, and mass hysteria of biblical proportions will break out in the streets once knowledge of the secret and impending doom is leaked to the public. But an astronomer discovers a second planet (Alpha) accompanying the first: Bronson Beta, named after its South African discoverer, Sven Bronson. Instruments find that Alpha is capable of sustaining life. Soliciting huge sums of money, billions of dollars from Philanthropist, Millionaires, Billionaires, the wealth of private capital, he and other scientist are scoffed at as they embark on a daring, near-impossible plan to build rocket ships (as many as can be constructed in the short time left) to transport a small group of people to the planet Alpha in order to populate it and ensure survival of the human race and its flora and animal species. With society disintegrating into chaos and madness, they continue their efforts and struggles to save what little of humanity they can and their lives!

**BuBraves55** · 07-13-2010, 01:54 PM

It was either Halley's or some other comet in the early 1900s, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people killed themselves because they thought they were going to die anyway?? People...

**tornado** · 07-13-2010, 02:41 PM

that happened again in 1997 - a whole cult of religious weirdos all killed themselves when the comet Hale-Bopp approached

404 Not Found

http://www.stelling.nl/simpos/heavgate.htm

http://www.rickross.com/reference/heavensgate/gate40.html

Even NASA when they're not trying to boost the self-esteem of Muslims, has a little healthy fear of comets...

http://www.rickross.com/reference/heavensgate/gate40.html

**Dubl R 1** · 07-13-2010, 06:04 PM

Originally posted by tornado View Post

that happened again in 1997 - a whole cult of religious weirdos all killed themselves when the comet Hale-Bopp approached

404 Not Found

http://www.stelling.nl/simpos/heavgate.htm

http://www.rickross.com/reference/heavensgate/gate40.html

Even NASA when they're not trying to boost the self-esteem of Muslims, has a little healthy fear of comets...
http://www.rickross.com/reference/he...te/gate40.html

Several people also considered killing themselves in 1997 when MMM-Bop came out by Hanson.

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