Newfound Comet Lulin to Grace Night Skies

Yahoo (Space.com) ^ | 2-06-2009 | Joe Rao

[The_Victor]

During the next few weeks, a fine comet bright enough for observation in binoculars and possibly even with the naked eye will provide a fine skywatching target when weather permits.

Comet Lulin will be closest to Earth on Feb. 24 and will occur than and on surrounding nights. For sharp-eye viewers with dark, rural, skies, the comet is expected to be visible as a dim, fuzzy star.

People living in cities and suburbs are not expected to see the comet with the naked eye, but binoculars and telescopes will reveal its cloudy head and perhaps a striking tail, too. Comets are unpredictable, however, so it's impossible to say how bright this one might become.

[snip]

This comet is the brightest since the surprising outburst of Comet Holmes more than 15 months ago and in the coming weeks will become favorably placed in the evening sky. During mid-to-late February it will probably be about magnitude 5 or 6, making it perhaps visible to the naked eye in dark, rural locations and easily observable in binoculars or small telescopes.

Brian Marsden of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has calculated that Comet Lulin passed through the perihelion point of its orbit (its closest approach to the sun) on Jan. 10, 113 million miles (182 million kilometers) from the sun.  However, while the comet is now receding from the sun, its distance from the Earth is decreasing, with a minimum of 38 million miles (61 million kilometers) on Feb. 24. 

For this reason, the comet should be at its brightest during the last week of February; then it will fade fast by mid-March.

[BelegStrongbow]

I’m thinking this will be in the same general area as Jupiter, then? Might be quite a nice sight, until the Moon catches them up again.

[Trueblackman]

2012 on hand.

[G.Mason]

" ... on the night of the 24th, when it will be passing nearest to Earth, Lulin will be visible all night, rising in the east at dusk, peaking high in the south shortly after midnight and setting in the west around sunrise ... "

Thanks ... I'll be looking.

[Names Ash Housewares]

[bgill]

and will occur than and on surrounding nights

Spellcheck is not always our friend.

[DCBryan1]

I'm thinking more of Lucifer's Hammer

[Oratam]

Day of the Triffids?

[The_Victor]

I tried to edit out the links. I musta gotten some of the text by mistake.

[qam1]

It will be near Saturn in Leo when it makes it's closest approach.

[The_Victor]

Actually, that's exactly how the text appears in the original.

'Taint mah fault.

[Billthedrill]

We're all gonna DIE!

Well, maybe there will be zombies. Zombies are cool.

[NonValueAdded]

And the 24th is a Tuesday! Hot fudge sundae, anyone?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Historically, comets were harbingers of disaster.

Any guesses what this one might be?

[The_Victor]

Well, maybe there will be zombies. Zombies are cool.

And hot chicks needing to be rescued....

zombies are always after the babes.

[PrairieRoot]

I believe this comet will be brightest and visible to the naked eye right before it hits us.

[BelegStrongbow]

Thanks. I live semi-rural, so am looking forward to being able to see it pretty well, assuming it doesn’t cloud over again, of course.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

“Daddy would have gotten us UZIs.”

[messierhunter]

The day after this post I shot a series of images of comet Lulin that I just got done combining into this time lapse video.

Comet Lulin - 2/7/09 from messierhunter on Vimeo.