Solar Energy News  
Q And A: A Green Comet

Sky chart showing comet Lulin on Feb. 24, 2009. Image credit: NASA/JPL
by Staff Writers
Pasadena CA (SPX) Feb 23, 2009
We hear a lot about "going green" these days. The latest to join in the trend is comet Lulin, which is making an appearance in the nighttime sky this month. Don Yeomans of JPL, manager for NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office, answers a few questions about this odd comet.

Q: Why is comet Lulin green? A: The green color arises when ionized cyanogen and carbon gases in the comet's atmosphere emit radiation in green wavelengths. These gases vaporize when the ices in the comet's nucleus get close enough to the sun.

Q: What other unusual characteristics does the comet have? A: Comet Lulin is moving nearly in the same orbital plane around the sun as do the planets, but in the opposite (retrograde) direction. It is probably the first time this comet has entered the inner solar system, so some of its original volatile ices in its nucleus may still be present, and should be identifiable during observations.

Q: Will we be able to see comet Lulin and its greenish color? If so, where, when and how? A: The comet should be observable in dark skies with binoculars. The best time to observe might be near its closest approach to Earth (about 38 million miles) on Tues., Feb. 24, when the comet appears just below the planet Saturn in the constellation of Leo (high in the southeast in late evening for observers in mid- northern latitudes, for example, in the United States and Europe.

Q: Will NASA astronomers be tracking the comet? A: A small army of amateur and professional astronomers will certainly take advantage of this young comet using various telescopes and in many different wavelengths. It is not that often that a relatively bright, young comet is seen in the inner solar system, and astronomers will take advantage of this opportunity to identify some of the gases that make up its greenish atmosphere - and infer what exotic ices make up its unseen nucleus.

Related Links
NASA Near-Earth Object Program Office
Asteroid and Comet Mission News, Science and Technology



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


NASA's Swift Spies Comet Lulin
Leicester UK (SPX) Feb 23, 2009
While waiting for high-energy outbursts and cosmic explosions, NASA's Swift Gamma-ray Explorer satellite is monitoring Comet Lulin as it closes on Earth. For the first time, astronomers are seeing simultaneous ultraviolet and X-ray images of a comet.







  • Iraq invites France back to build nuclear plant
  • US nuclear plants must prepare for plane attacks
  • French firm studying Kuwait's nuclear programme: emir
  • Latvia, Estonia push for Baltic nuclear plant

  • US, China pledge joint effort on economy, climate change
  • Scientists map CO2 emissions with Google Earth
  • Decisive Action Needed As Warming Predictions Worsen
  • China says willing to work with US on climate change

  • Aerosols - Their Part In Our Rainfall
  • Mass Media Often Failing In Its Coverage Of Global Warming
  • Biologist Discusses Sacred Nature Of Sustainability
  • Microbes Were Key In Developing Modern Nitrogen Cycle

  • Poachers put Balkan lynx on brink of extinction
  • Echoes Of Extinction
  • Changing Ocean Conditions Turning Penguins Into Long-Distance Commuters
  • Philippines: New mountain rodent species found

  • Segment Of Ares I-X Test Rocket Arrives At Kennedy
  • Boeing Submits Proposals For Ares V Rocket Design Support
  • Japan Unveils New Rocket
  • Experts Select Future REXUS/BEXUS Experiments

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • Google shoots down 'Atlantis' pictures
  • Five Things About The Orbiting Carbon Observatory
  • Scientists Find Black Gold Amidst Overlooked Data
  • NASA-Funded Carbon Dioxide Map Of US Released On Google Earth

  • Satellite Collision Debris May Hamper Space Launches
  • Impact Specialist To Discuss Catastrophic Collisions In Space
  • Satellite Collision Triggers Calls For Space Traffic Regulations
  • Space As An Increasingly Crowded Place

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement