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Comets still undefeated after win over Mohawks

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The MUCC Comets were ready for a close football game on Friday when they hosted the Humboldt Mohawks. Despite winning the game 22-7 the Comets were in unfamiliar territory early in the contest and actually trailed 7-0. It was the Comets first possession of the game textbook football according to coach Dave Rogers, until quarterback Lee Taylor threw an interception from the eight-yard line. It was intercepted in the end zone and returned for Humboldts only points of the game, he said. Defensive lineman Kevin Cipywnyk said that interception only fuelled the fire of the defense for the rest of the game. It kind of fired us up a little more, made us come out harder and hit them, Cipywnyk said. The Comets defense controlled the game, keeping the Mohawks off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. They even kept the Humboldt offense outside the Melfort 40-yard line until the last play of the game. The Comets offense had a hard time following suit. Rogers said the offense had difficulty finishing drives in the contest. We moved the ball up and down the field effectively and got down to the six yard line and didnt score. That was the story for us on offense today, he said. That happened on three occasions which is a concern for Rogers. Anytime you get into the red zone, inside the 20 yard line, and you dont get points it has to be a concern. That said, they did make their way into the endzone three times. With only a minute remaining in the first quarter Taylor connected with Jomar Malaggay from 53-yards out for a touchdown. The conversion tied the game 7-7. On Humboldts next possession Kalen Senecal had an interception for the Comets setting up a four-play touchdown drive which ended with Taylor running the last yard. With the conversion the Comets led 14-7. Midway through the second quarter the Comets added a single on a punt to go ahead 15-7. With no time remaining on the clock before halftime the comets capped off a 75-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Sean Renouf from eight yards out. With the conversion the score was 22-7. There was no scoring in the second half. The Comets wrap up the regular season on the road this Friday, October 24, against the Nipawin Bears. Rogers said the game will be a developmental one. The guys that played the end of this game they get a chance to play in Nipawin, he said. Following that the Comets will host a provincial quarter final playoff game on Saturday, November 1.

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Comets still undefeated after win over Mohawks

Two families of comets found around nearby star: Biggest census ever of exocomets around beta pictoris

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The HARPS instrument at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile has been used to make the most complete census of comets around another star ever created. A French team of astronomers has studied nearly 500 individual comets orbiting the star Beta Pictoris and has discovered that they belong to two distinct families of exocomets: old exocomets that have made multiple passages near the star, and younger exocomets that probably came from the recent breakup of one or more larger objects. The new results will appear in the journal Nature on 23 October 2014.

Beta Pictoris is a young star located about 63 light-years from the Sun. It is only about 20 million years old and is surrounded by a huge disc of material -- a very active young planetary system where gas and dust are produced by the evaporation of comets and the collisions of asteroids.

Flavien Kiefer (IAP/CNRS/UPMC), lead author of the new study sets the scene: "Beta Pictoris is a very exciting target! The detailed observations of its exocomets give us clues to help understand what processes occur in this kind of young planetary system."

For almost 30 years astronomers have seen subtle changes in the light from Beta Pictoris that were thought to be caused by the passage of comets in front of the star itself. Comets are small bodies of a few kilometres in size, but they are rich in ices, which evaporate when they approach their star, producing gigantic tails of gas and dust that can absorb some of the light passing through them. The dim light from the exocomets is swamped by the light of the brilliant star so they cannot be imaged directly from Earth.

To study the Beta Pictoris exocomets, the team analysed more than 1000 observations obtained between 2003 and 2011 with the HARPS instrument on the ESO 3.6-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.

The researchers selected a sample of 493 different exocomets. Some exocomets were observed several times and for a few hours. Careful analysis provided measurements of the speed and the size of the gas clouds. Some of the orbital properties of each of these exocomets, such as the shape and the orientation of the orbit and the distance to the star, could also be deduced.

This analysis of several hundreds of exocomets in a single exo-planetary system is unique. It revealed the presence of two distinct families of exocomets: one family of old exocomets whose orbits are controlled by a massive planet [1], and another family, probably arising from the recent breakdown of one or a few bigger objects. Different families of comets also exist in the Solar System.

The exocomets of the first family have a variety of orbits and show a rather weak activity with low production rates of gas and dust. This suggests that these comets have exhausted their supplies of ices during their multiple passages close to Beta Pictoris [2].

The exocomets of the second family are much more active and are also on nearly identical orbits [3]. This suggests that the members of the second family all arise from the same origin: probably the breakdown of a larger object whose fragments are on an orbit grazing the star Beta Pictoris.

Flavien Kiefer concludes: "For the first time a statistical study has determined the physics and orbits for a large number of exocomets. This work provides a remarkable look at the mechanisms that were at work in the Solar System just after its formation 4.5 billion years ago."

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Two families of comets found around nearby star: Biggest census ever of exocomets around beta pictoris

Alien Comets of Star Beta Pictoris Explained (Infographic)

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By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist | October 22, 2014 01:00pm ET

At only 23 million years old, the Beta Pictoris star system is very young compared to Earth's solar system. Beta Pictoris is still undergoing the initial condensation of its planets from smaller bodies, a process called accretion. The system is 63.4 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Pictors, the Painter's Easel.

Full Story: Hundreds of 'Exocomets' Around Nearby Star Come in Two Flavors

The spectral signatures of exocomets (comets of another solar system) have been seen approaching Beta Pictoris and disintegrating as their water ice and other volatiles evaporate into space. Researchers say they have discovered two distinct families of comets around Beta Pictoris.

Hundreds Of Comets Spotted Around Nearby Star | Artist Impression Video

The exocomets at Beta Pictoris are not the only oddity around the young star. The star is also home the Beta Pictoris b, a huge gas giant planet 10 times the mass of Jupiter that is the fastest spinning alien planet ever known. The planet spins at a rate of about62,000 mph (100,000 km/h), with a single day on the planet lasting just eight hours.

Comet Quiz: Test Your Cosmic Knowledge

Whirling Dervish: Fastest-Spinning Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b Explained (Infographic)

Photos: Spectacular Comet Views from Earth and Space

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Alien Comets of Star Beta Pictoris Explained (Infographic)

Two Exocomet Families Found Around Baby Star System

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Scientists have found two families of comets in the developing Beta Pictoris star system, located about 64 million light-years from Earth, including one group that appears to be remnants of a smashed-up protoplanet.

The discovery bolsters our theoretical understanding of the violent processes that led to the formation of Earth and the other terrestrial planets in the solar system.

PHOTOS: Exquisite Exoplanetary Art

If you look back at the solar system when it was only 22 million years old, you might have seen phenomena thats a like more like whats happening in Beta Pic, astrophysicist Aki Roberge, with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., told Discovery News.

Rocky planets like the Earth, or any kind of solid planet, are built up out of comets and asteroids. Its the collisions of those bodies that build up the planets in the first place, she said.

Astronomers found the exocomets by analyzing eight years of archived data collected by the HARPS instrument on ESA's 3.6-meter telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile. They were focusing on small, evaporating bodies that passed across the face of their parent star, relative to the telescopes line of sight.

ANALYSIS: Dust to Dust: The Death of an Exoplanet

Our results show that the evaporating bodies observed for decades in the Beta Pictoris system are analogous to the comets in our own solar system, astronomer Flavien Kiefer, with the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris, and colleagues wrote in an article published in this week's Nature.

One group of comets, designated population S, appears to be gravitationally tied to massive planet, possibly Beta Pictoris b, which circles its parent star about as far as Saturn orbits the sun. Astronomers strongly suspect a second gas giant planet exists beyond Beta Pic b.

NEWS: The Exoplanet With a Comet-Like Tail

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Two Exocomet Families Found Around Baby Star System

10/16 2014 Clayton Comets 37 @ Rolesville Rams 0 Junior Varsity Football gam6 – Video

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10/16 2014 Clayton Comets 37 @ Rolesville Rams 0 Junior Varsity Football gam6
Another solid effort by the defense in this Greater Neuse Conference match-up. John Ross Parrish leads the offense with a terrific 55-yard TD pass. The Comet...

By: Landen Leiser 5StarQB

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10/16 2014 Clayton Comets 37 @ Rolesville Rams 0 Junior Varsity Football gam6 - Video

Comets Season Ticket Holders Can Now Buy 2015 AHL All-Star Classic Tickets

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October 20, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets Tickets for the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino are now on sale to Utica Comets season ticket holders. The exclusive purchasing window for season ticket holders will run through Saturday, Nov. 1. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, Nov. 3.

Comets season ticket holders can reserve their seats for both the Skills Competition on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015 and the All-Star Game on Monday, Jan. 26, 2015 by visiting the Utica Memorial Auditorium box office, with either their season ticket book, or a single season ticket, and photo identification. Season ticket holders can also reserve their seats at the box office prior to any of the four Comets home games before Nov. 1.

Tickets for the general public will be sold in-person at The AUD box office beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 3. They will only be sold at the Labatt Blue box office (facing Cornelia St.). Tickets will be opened up to online and phone orders through Ticketmaster at noon ET that day. No tickets will be sold over the phone through the Comets office or The AUD box office.

The 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino will pit the top players from the AHL's Eastern Conference against the best of the Western Conference. Tickets are priced at $49, $69 and $89, and include admission to both the Skills Competition on Jan. 25 and the All-Star Game on Jan. 26.

Details and ticket information for other social events to take place during the All-Star Classic, including the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, will be announced at a later date.

the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: Of the 644 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 94 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Daniel Briere, Ryan Callahan, Zdeno Chara, Jimmy Howard, Niklas Kronwall, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Miller, Zach Parise, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Bobby Ryan, Martin St. Louis, Cory Schneider, Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza and Eric Staal.

In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 8 8 percent of today's NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 13 th year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 201 3 - 14 .

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Comets Season Ticket Holders Can Now Buy 2015 AHL All-Star Classic Tickets

Outstanding Workington Comets see off Edinburgh Monarchs

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By Liam Waite

Last updated at 15:14, Monday, 20 October 2014

Workington Comets 53 Edinburgh Monarchs 43: Workington Comets put in an excellent display to beat table-toppers Edinburgh, despite nothing but pride being on the line.

Kyle Howarth (red helmet), Craig Cook (white) and Joe Jacobs

The Monarchs are top of the Premier League table and, despite Comets still having one play-off fixture to play, crushed their hopes of qualifying for the final with a dominant display round Derwent Park last month.

Without their top two riders in No1 Josh Grajczonek and skipper Rene Bach, few would have bet on anything but a struggle against the impressive Scots.

But maximum points from the first four heats set Workington on their way to a thoroughly deserved victory on what was a rare perfect evening of speedway this season.

Grajczoneks replacement for the evening, Aaron Summers, made an excellent start with a lead from gate-to-tapes, his teammate trailing him ahead of ex-Comet Craig Cook and setting the tone for a weirdly comfortable 5-1 start.

Fast forward to heat four and still Comets were almost running away with it.

Kyle Howarth, in-form with his Elite League club Coventry Bees in recent weeks, flew round by the seat of his pants to make it four consecutive 5-1s and leave the Comets almost in disbelief at how easy it had come.

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Outstanding Workington Comets see off Edinburgh Monarchs

Workington Comets gain revenge over Edinburgh

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Last updated at 12:30, Monday, 20 October 2014

A flawless night of speedway saw Workington Comets exact revenge on table-topping Edinburgh, who all but dumped them out of the Premier League play-offs three weeks ago.

Kyle Howarth

The home side overcame a Monarchs side including high-flying ex-Comet Craig Cook to take all three points in their final home league fixture of the season and leave team manager Tony Jackson all smiles.

Jackson said: It was good on so many levels. First of all it was fantastic that we got the meeting on after the weather on Friday. The track staff worked wonders again. I cant praise them enough.

I think the main thing was to get the meeting finished but to beat Edinburgh was another great achievement, especially without our top two in Josh Grajczonek and Rene Bach. They were without riders too but you can only beat what is in front of you.

Comets were dominant from the get go, taking maximum points from the first four heats before swatting away a mid-meeting fightback to win comfortably in the end.

On a night when Workington raced spectacularly well across the board, reserve rider Simon Lambert was crucial to the performance, winning all but one of his rides.

Jackson added: I dont know what odds you would have got on our first four wins but it shows we still wanted to get the three points.

I have no complaints about Aaron Summers at all, he did a job for us in place of our No1 Josh.

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Workington Comets gain revenge over Edinburgh

10/17 2014 Rolesville Rams 26 @ Clayton Comets 40 HOMECOMING Varsity Football game – Video

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10/17 2014 Rolesville Rams 26 @ Clayton Comets 40 HOMECOMING Varsity Football game
Eric Hoy scores 3 TD #39;s, while Blake Joyner scores 2. Great defensive effort as Arnel Christain Michael Kwiatkowski each have an interception, along with multiple tackles. Lamont Roberson...

By: Landen Leiser 5StarQB

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10/17 2014 Rolesville Rams 26 @ Clayton Comets 40 HOMECOMING Varsity Football game - Video

ACT Comets players impress in front of Big Bash League teams in Sydney Twenty20 competition

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ACT Comets all-rounder Vele Dukoski made 56 from 38 balls in the Sydney Twenty20 competition on Sunday. Photo: Rohan Thomson

ACT Comets all-rounder Vele Dukoski and spinner Shane Devoy did their chances of securing a professional contract no harm with standout performances in the Sydney Twenty20 competition.

Dukoski smashed 56 off just 38 balls while Devoy picked up 5-19 as the Comets made it a perfect two from two on Sunday with a 53-run victory against Blacktown.

That followed on from a four-wicket win against Penrith earlier in the day.

The Comets entered the tournament to give their players exposure and hopefully secure a deal with either the Sydney Thunder or Sixers for the upcoming Big Bash League.

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Dukoski made the most of his chance to open the innings as the Comets posted 7-157 batting first, before Devoy took advantage of a pitch conducive to spin to restrict Penrith to 104 in reply.

Comets coach Mark Higgs said both players took their opportunity to impress.

"Vele's batted up the order at club cricket, and with Jono Dean out injured at the moment, we gave him a chance to do that for us," Higgs said.

"And with Shane, he got the ball in good areas, the wicket was turning a little bit and they came hard at him."

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ACT Comets players impress in front of Big Bash League teams in Sydney Twenty20 competition

Tracking killer comets before they strike

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JUDY WOODRUFF: Now a different kind of space mission, finding asteroids and other large objects before they get close to Earth.

This Sunday, a comet will be making an unusually close fly-by near Mars. In fact, it will be coming closer to Mars than any other comet has come near Earth in recorded history. Its also a moment when scientists are assessing our own risk from such objects.

Science correspondent Miles OBrien has our report.

MILES OBRIEN: Traveling 40 times faster than a speeding bullet, it is a menacing messenger from the very distant past. The comet known as Siding Spring, a dirty snowball packed with four-billion-year-old leftovers from the dawn of our solar system, will streak ever so close to Mars and NASAs armada of spacecraft, for scientists, an unprecedented bonanza, for all of us, a stark reminder.

Jim Green is the space agencys director of planetary science.

JIM GREEN, NASA: Theres not only the scientific interest of where these objects fit in, in the origin and evolution of our solar system, but indeed ignorance is not bliss. We cant, in all consciousness, expect us to ignore the near-Earth population.

MILES OBRIEN: By that, he means the millions of comets and asteroids that come close enough to Earth that they could collide with the planet.

Don Yeomans runs the Near-Earth Object Program at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

DON YEOMANS, NASA: Its just a matter of time before a large one is on an Earth-threatening trajectory. The only question then is, will we discover it well ahead of time and do something about it?

MILES OBRIEN: We humans got a stunning shot across the bow in February of 2013, when a 60-foot-wide asteroid exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia. Equivalent to 30 atomic bombs, it shattered windows, injuring about 1,500.

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Tracking killer comets before they strike

Gibson and Touloute Re-Sign with Comets

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October 17, 2014 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) Missouri Comets INDEPENDENCE, MO (September 24, 2014) - The Missouri Comets have announced the re-signing of long-time forward Leo Gibson, who agreed to a three-year contract extension after being an essential piece to the Comets first ever MISL Championship. Along with Gibson, the Comets have announced the signing of forward Max Touloute, who signed a one year agreement. Per league and team policies, additional contract details were not disclosed.

Gibson, a Monrovia, Liberia native, signed with the Comets in 2010 as a part of the new era for the franchise and has become one of the fan favorites thanks to his high-energy and dynamic play on the field.

"He [Gibson] is the hardest working player I've ever been around," said Comets Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski. "He is the first person to show up at practice and always stays after to work on his game. His importance to the team is immeasurable."

In his first season with the Comets, Gibson won the November MISL Offensive Player of the Month before having to play on the back line forced by an injury situation halfway through the season. Gibson showed his versatility on the field displaying great defensive skills but still showing his offensive side. That season, he had 51 points and 22 blocks in 23 games and was named to the First Team All-MISL.

In his second season, Gibson kept the ball rolling and at the end of the season he was named to the Second Team All-MISL.

The 2012/13 season marked Gibson's best year as a Comet and in his professional indoor soccer career after being named to the First Team All-MISL for the second time while winning the January Defensive Player of the Month and two Player of the Week Awards. He also made MISL history that season by scoring the most points in a single game with 16 and most goals in a game with 6 including an unforgettable bicycle kick goal on January 19, 2013 against the Rochester Lancers.

Last year, he led the league in both points and assists as he finished the season on top of the individual points race with 76. Gibson also took home the assists crown with a late surge that saw him record eight helpers in his final five games to give him 25 for the season, which were vital for the team to lift the MISL Championship trophy and for him to make the First Team All-MISL for the third time since joining the team.

Max Touloute joined the Comets via trade from the Pennsylvania Roar on February 19, 2014. He joined the Roar in January of 2013. In the five games he played with Pennsylvania, Touloute tallied 16 points and seven goals. In 2012 he played seven games with the Wichita Wings in a reserve role.

The Haitian forward played four regular season games for the Comets last season and recorded 15 points after tallying 7 goals and one assist. During the playoffs, Touloute appeared in all six games recorded 6 points courtesy of 2 goals and 1 assist, which were vital for the team to lift the MISL Championship trophy.

Gibson and Touloute, along with the rest of the Comets team will be in attendance this Monday, October 20th at the Independence Events Center from 2-3 p.m. for an open to the public press conference where the team will unveil their new home and away jerseys as well as other important information.

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Gibson and Touloute Re-Sign with Comets


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