C2007 N3 - COMET LULIN

Satu lagi fenomena angkasa yang menarik dapat disaksikan apabila komet Lulin (C2007 N3) yang kini bergerak menghampiri bumi akan dapat dilihat dengan mata kasar bulan depan.Agensi Angkasa Negara (Angkasa) memberitahu, pergerakan komet tersebut antara buruj Scorpius dan Libra sebelum ke buruj Leo pada Februari ini telah dirakamkan dari Observatori Negara Langkawi minggu lepas.

Menurut agensi tersebut, komet tersebut dijangka mencapai tahap kecerahan maksimum dan boleh dilihat dengan mata kasar pada 24 Februari sehingga April.“Orang ramai boleh melihat komet tersebut di bahagian timur sepanjang malam kerana kecerahan dan kelajuannya akan meningkat dari hari ke hari sehingga ia mencapai kecerahan maksimum,’’ kata agensi itu dalam kenyataan akhbar.

Komet Lulin berada pada kedudukan 0.41 AU (unit Astronomi) dan berada pada jarak paling hampir dengan Bumi pada 24 Februari - lebih kurang 14.5 kali jarak antara Bumi dan Bulan.Satu AU bersamaan jarak di antara Bumi dan Matahari (150 juta kilometer).

Komet Lulin ditemui pada Julai 2007 oleh Ye Quanzhi daripada Sun Yat-sen University di Guangzhou, China.

Some other said:

Comet Lulin (C/2007 N3), discovered in 2007 by a Strait-bridging team of astronomers from Taiwan and China, is swinging around the sun and approaching Earth. Right now, Comet Lulin is gliding through the constellation Libra in the southeastern sky before dawn. It glows like an 7th magnitude star, so a mid-sized backyard telescope is required to see it. Visibility will improve in February as the Earth-comet distance shrinks. At closest approach (0.41 AU) on February 24th, the comet should brighten to about 5th magnitude--dimly visible to the unaided eye and an easy target for binoculars. Surprises are possible. The hyperbolic orbit of Comet Lulin suggests this could be the comet's first visit to the inner solar system. How it will react to increasing sunlight is anyone's guess.

Comet Lulin will be approaching Earth for a 38 million mile "close encounter" at a time of a New Moon on Feb. 24. The Moon will also be in conjunction with both Jupiter and Mercury on Feb. 22. And, with Mars on the 23 rd. There will also be a conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter on the 23 rd. This is a very unusual "electrical alignment" with this comet and our Sun, particularity since it is orbiting in the same plane as that of our own Earth.. As the New Moon moves away from shielding the Earth against the incoming Solar Winds, the Moon will be "on the Equator". All of this equates to the possibility of some severe storms and potential earthquakes on around Feb. 26 to March 1 st. Quite interestingly, we will also witness the Moon in conjunction with Venus on Feb. 27. I would urge everyone to be ready to "batten down your hatches"---and have your generators primed and ready--- during the time frame of the aforementioned Feb. 26 to March 1.