Comet Watching

Gazing at the night sky this week will give you a rare glimpse of an unusual comet. Lulin, a green, backward-flying comet, is on its closest (and possibly final) approach to Earth. Lulin is 38 million miles away, but in dark locations, you can see it with the naked eye. In the city, binoculars are all that’s needed. To the naked eye, the comet looks like a fuzzy patch of hazy light. With binoculars or a telescope, you should be able to see the comet’s brighter center, along with its dual tail.

Comet Lulin is remarkable because it travels backward around the sun in the opposite direction of the planets. Because of this, it appears to move in relation to the stars while you watch, something you don’t get to see very often.

To find Lulin, look high in the southeast sky for big, bright Saturn. Comet Lulin will be a fuzzy smudge slightly above and to the right of the planet. Refer to the chart below courtesy of Sky and Telescope.

If you miss it tonight, Lulin will still be visible the rest of the week. And if you miss it altogether, you could be out of luck. Astronomers aren’t sure Lulin will ever reappear in the inner solar system.