Fact Sheet
Icy Visitor
Comet Lulin crosses the eastern evening sky late this month. Under dark sky conditions, the "dirty snowball" of ice and rock is just visible to the unaided eye, and looks like a faint smudge of light. Binoculars will reveal its tail and the comet's unusual green color. The comet passes the golden planet Saturn on February 24, and Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, on February 28. After that, it should fade rapidly; by mid-March you probably will need a small telescope to see it. This chart shows the comet's approximate position on each evening, at around 9 or 10 p.m. local time. [Tim Jones/Source: spaceweather.com]
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