![]() System, and astronomers will take advantage of this opportunity to That a relatively bright, young comet is seen in the inner solar Telescopes and in many different wavelengths. ![]() Q: Will NASA astronomers be tracking the comet? A: A small army of amateur and professional astronomers willĬertainly take advantage of this young comet using various ![]() Northern latitudes, for example, in the United States and Europe. (high in the southeast in late evening for observers in mid. 24, when the cometĪppears just below the planet Saturn in the constellation of Leo The best time to observe might be near its closest approach toĮarth (about 38 million miles) on Tues., Feb. So, where, when and how? A: The comet should be observable in dark skies with binoculars. Q: Will we be able to see comet Lulin and its greenish color? If Its nucleus may still be present, and should be identifiable during The inner solar system, so some of its original volatile ices in It is probably the first time this comet has entered The sun as do the planets, but in the opposite (retrograde)ĭirection. Q: What other unusual characteristics does the comet have? A: Comet Lulin is moving nearly in the same orbital plane around These gases appear greenish due to the emission of carbon (C2) and the lack of a significant yellowish dust tail that sometimes dominates the color of an active comet. Q: Why is comet Lulin green? A: The ices in comet Lulin vaporize into gases when its nucleus gets close enough to the sun. Don Yeomans of JPL, manager for NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office, answers a few questions about this odd comet. The latest to join in the trend is comet Lulin, which is making an appearance in the nighttime sky this month. We hear a lot about "going green" these days.
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