For all budding Astronomers - Comet Lulin

[Kodiak]

"On Tuesday, Feb. 24th, Saturn and Comet Lulin will converge in the constellation Leo only 2 degrees apart. At the same time, Comet Lulin will be making its closest approach to Earth--the comet at its best!-- while four of Saturn's moons transit the disk of the ringed planet in view of backyard telescopes. Oh, and the Moon will be New, providing dark skies for anyone who wishes to see the show. The best time to look is around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning (your local time) when the planet-comet combo ascend high in the southern sky. To the unaided eye, Comet Lulin looks like a faint patch of gas floating next to golden Saturn. Point your telescope at that patch and you will see a lovely green comet with a double tail.

[cuddlepop]

And,this comet is not a sign of inpending doom but of hope and renewance.

[Geo]

I wonder if the cloud will clear.

[Kodiak]

The constellation of Orion is visible in the South, as is Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. To the East is the constellation of Leo with its bright star Regulus. The planet Saturn is clearly visible. Comet Lulin will move from just below Saturn to just below Regulus between Feb 23rd and Feb 28th. It will be colsest on the 24th/25th. Binoculars will give you the best chance of seeing the comet, which should appear as a fuzzy object.

That is assuming the Sky Clears,



K

[George Brims]

This is interesting - Kodiak says around 1am is the best time to see the comet. We are due to have a rocket launch pass over us at 1:51 am Tuesday morning! Unfortunately right now our sky is very cloudy, so none of it may be visible. The launch will probably be scrubbed.