STAR GAZERS in Cyprus were yesterday treated to the sight of Comet Lulin, which made its first-ever appearance to our inner solar system and passed the closest to Earth that it will get during its current visit.
According to NASA it was not only Lulin’s first visit to the inner solar system but also the green comet’s first exposure to intense sunlight.
NASA said Lulin’s green colour comes from the gases that make up its Jupiter-sized atmosphere. Jets spewing from the comet’s nucleus contain cyanogens, a poisonous gas found in many comets and diatomic carbon. “Both substances glow green when illuminated by sunlight in the near-vacuum of space,” said a NASA statement.
Paphos-based paranormal organisation Psychognosia said yesterday throughout human history comets have been associated with fear and foreboding but most of the modern Western world, however, now considers such views as mere superstitions.
A spokesperson at Psychognosia said: “As the global economic meltdown continues, one can’t help but wonder at the cosmic circumstances that have graced our skies with another comet at a time of such unease on Planet Earth.”
In July 2007, Comet Lulin was discovered through a collaborative effort by both Chinese and Taiwanese astronomers and it is named after an observatory in Taiwan. Comet Lulin has recently made its closest approach to our planet, on 24 February, when it was 38 million miles away.
The comet will be visible for some months and can be found by looking at the Southern sky, in the constellation of Leo, in the early hours before sunrise. It is dimly visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy greenish patch, next to the Planet Saturn and can be seen to be moving in comparison to nearby stars.
“This appears to be Lulin’s first visit to our corner of the cosmos and it has generated much interest,” said Psychognosia. Parts of its tail have been observed to disintegrate, making for spectacular photos amongst sky enthusiasts, both pros and amateurs. If the current Cyprus cloudy conditions clear, viewing should be excellent with a New Moon providing darkened skies.”
