William Atkins
Thursday, 19 February 2009 21:18
Science -
Space
Page 2 of 4
The closest approach to Earth by the comet on February 24, 2009 will bring Comet Lulin within 38 million miles (61 million kilometers) of Earth—about four-tenths the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
In other words, according to astronomers it is about 0.41 astronomical units (AU) away, where one AU is the average distance between the Sun and the Earth--about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers).
It will be visible to the naked (unaided) eye, and even more spectacularly seen with binoculars or backyard telescopes.
Astronomers predict that the comet
“could be two or three times brighter than it is now.” [SpaceWeather.com]
So far in 2009, on its travels toward Earth, Comet Lulin has produced some dramatic images. On February 4, 2009, Italian astronomers saw part of the comet’s tail being torn off (in real-time).
Ernesto Guido, the leader of the Italian astronomers, stated,
"We photographed the comet using a remotely-controlled telescope in New Mexico, and our images clearly showed a disconnection event. While we were looking, part of the comet's plasma tail was torn away." [SpaceWeather.com: “
Disconnected Tail”]
The event is thought to have been caused by the striking of the comet by a large electromagnetic disturbance in the solar wind, which is caused by high-speed ionized particles being ejected out from the Sun into interplanetary space. These are the same particles that sometimes disrupt our communication systems here on Earth.
Before, during, and after photographs of the tail being torn away from Comet Lulin is found on the SpaceWeather.com website.
Page three talks about quality of viewing of the comet, along with its chance encounter (from our perspective) with the transits of four moons past the disk of the planet Saturn on February 24, 2009.
