Ahoy, Stargazers! This Monday, take a look up at the Southern sky. You may see something bright and green flying backwards through the sky.No, that's not Tinkerbell, or Kylie Minogue as The Green Fairy in Moulin Rouge.
via videosift.com
No, it's Lulin - the little, backwards-moving, green-glowing comet that could.
The comet makes its closest approach to Earth (0.41 AU) on Feb. 24, 2009. Lulin's green color comes from the gases that make up its Jupiter-sized atmosphere. Jets spewing from the comet's nucleus contain cyanogen (CN: a poisonous gas found in many comets) and diatomic carbon (C2). Both substances glow green when illuminated by sunlight in the near-vacuum of space.And this is your only chance to see Loony Lulin. It came from the outskirts of the solar system, 18 trillion miles away. Once it's made the journey around the sun, Lulin will gain enough speed to escape the solar system.
The best opportunity is just before dawn one-third of the way up the southern sky. It should be near Saturn and two bright stars, Spica and Regula.
Of course, on Monday nights I am usually stumbling out of Musical Mondays at Splash by Union Square. And, with vodka running through me and showtunes still at my back, I often see floating green things. And most of the time they're singing something from the 2004 Tony Awards.
More on Lulin here, if you want a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and can handle less rest before the your next day of work.
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