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• Comets are objects in the Solar System composed mainly of ice and dust. When their irregular orbits bring them near the Sun, comets give off a trail of gas and dust. This tail is called a coma, and is visible from Earth. Although they are similar to asteroids, comets are a different class of orbiting object, based on their visible tails.NASA-JPL: Near Earth Object Program FAQ

  In February 2009, the comet Lulin, discovered by a teenager in China in 2007, is passing by the Earth. Lulin appears to be green; the color is from toxic gases.FOXNews.com: Strange Green Comet Passing by Earth Next Week (February 18, 2009) For those in United States, the comet was closest to Earth on the evening of February 23, 2009.The Tech Herald: NASA's Swift Gamma-ray Explorer monitors comet Lulin (February 23, 2009)

  Lunin was first discovered in 2007, by Quanzhi Ye, a teenage student of astronomy in China.ScienceNews: A Green Visitor Makes its Approach (February 18, 2009) For Americans, the comet Lulin was closest to Earth on Monday, February 23, 2009, at 38 million miles away. Lulin's greenish hue is caused by the gases cyanogen and diatomic carbon.ScienceNews: A Green Visitor Makes its Approach (February 18, 2009) According to NASA, Comet Lulin's tail appears to be in front of the comet; a phenomena caused by an optical illusion.FOXNews.com: Strange Green Comet Passing by Earth Next Week (February 18, 2009)

  Lulin is probably on its way out of the solar system and might not be seen again from Earth.Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,498705,00.html (February 24, 2009)

  For Americans, Lulin can be seen to the right of Saturn, between the constellations of Virgo and Leo.Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,498705,00.html (February 24, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Composed of a thick layer of ice and dust around a solid, rocky coreNASA-JPL: Near Earth Object Program FAQ
  2. Comet tails, or comas, always point away from the Sun, not in the direction of motion
  3. Generally classified based on the patterns of their orbits around the SunNASA-JPL: Near Earth Object Program FAQ
  4. Short comets travel in shorter orbits around the SunNASA-JPL: Near Earth Object Program FAQ
  5. Comets are believed to originate in the distant Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud regions of the Solar SystemHubblesite.org: Where do comets come from?
  6. Meteors are debris from comets
  7. Comet Lulin is passing the Earth in February 2009FOXNews.com: Strange Green Comet Passing by Earth Next Week (February 18, 2009)
  8. Lulin will be 38 million miles away from the Earth as it passesFOXNews.com: Strange Green Comet Passing by Earth Next Week (February 18, 2009)

• Comet Lulin

• Types of Comets

  1. P-type: Periodic comet
  2. C-type: Non-periodic comet
  3. X-type: A reliable orbit cannot be calculated
  4. D-type: A comet which has broken up into pieces or has otherwise been lost
  5. A-type: An object that was mistakenly classified as a cometInternational Astronomical Union: Cometary Designation System

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Black Holes | Meteors | Space | Astronomy | Clovis People | Comet Lulin

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