WASHINGTON - An odd, greenish backward-flying comet is zipping by Earth this month, as it takes its only trip toward the sun from the farthest edges of the solar system.
The comet is called Lulin, and there's a chance it can be seen with the naked eye - far from city lights, astronomers say. But you'll most likely need a telescope, or at least binoculars, to spot it. 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.
On Monday at 10:43 p.m. EST, it will be 61 million kilometres from Earth, the closest it will ever get, according to Donald Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near Earth Object program.
It would be thoughtless not to post something here about the green comet. Once in a lifetime opportunity folks! ^_^
When I read about the green comet I thought about the book, 'Day of the Triffids'. There was a meteor shower one night and the next day everyone who'd witnessed the meteor shower was rendered permanently blind. And then tall, shuffling, carnivore plants showed up and began killing everyone... O.o
jedispyder wrote:I really shouldn't have told you about that, lol
Oh, please. If you could go back in time and choose another path, you still would have told me. Only I would have gotten more sordid details out of you, mwha.
