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Comet Lulin Is Moving Closer To Earth

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the space-sparkles dept.

goran72 writes "The comet is swinging around the Sun and approaching the Earth. The photogenic Lulin has a bright tail and an 'anti-tail.' At its closest approach in February, Comet Lulin is expected to brighten to naked-eye visibility, reaching a magnitude of six."

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  1. Comet viewing can be incredible... by fractalrock · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was in the Navy, out at sea (probably Atlantic) when Hale-Bopp was visible.

    A few of the guys I worked with would venture out on deck at night, usually to sip whiskey or stargaze, or talk about how much we hated the Nav. Anyway, I've seen comets before so when a buddy said 'you should really come outside and see the comet' I was thinking 'meh...'

    When I stepped outside, I initially thought the moon was out it was so bright on deck. I look up at the sky and almost fell down (seriously...had to catch myself). The comet was so bright and beautiful it damn near took my breath away. It stretched 3/4 of the way across the visible sky; looking like some kind of cosmic jewel.

    I got to see a lot of interesting things while serving, but the comet was a definite highlight.