Stargazers willing to brave the cold and stay up until midnight or later will observe a once-in-earth’s-lifetime event this month. Possibly with the naked eye, and certainly with binoculars, they will be able to observe the newly discovered Comet Lulin on its trip through the inner solar system. Lulin is named for the Taiwanese observatory where it was first seen in July, 2007.
Comet Lulin will look like a greenish fuzzy blob, with a very bright center, and probably a tail. It will appear much bigger than a star. It should be brightest on February 24, its closest approach to the earth. At that time it will be half the distance between the earth and the sun–about 38 million miles– away and traveling at 31 miles per second toward the outer part of the solar system.
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This article was originally published in the St. Louis Beacon.