Comet Lulin passed within 61 million kilometres of Earth this week (Image: NASA/APPHOTO)
THE Earth had company this week, when comet Lulin passed within 61 million kilometres of us, almost as close as Mars. It reached peak brightness on 24 February, when it could be seen passing close to Saturn, but should remain visible in the sky until mid-March.
The close pass gives astronomers their first chance to analyse the comet’s constituents, says Jenny Carter from the University of Leicester, UK. Images of Lulin taken by (see image, right) should help determine the comet’s exact chemical…
