Feb 1st, 2009
Go out and Look Up!
Comet Lulin The first big comet of 2009 is Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin). Discovered back in 2007, this icy orb is on its way into our neck of the solar system and during the month of February will grow bright enough to see with your unaided eye. Passing through the constellation Libra, this object is well placed for observers in both hemispheres. Oddly, this passing object is moving through our solar system backwards! This unusual traveler is following the ecliptic (the path of the Sun through the sky) in reverse, moving in the opposite direction of most objects. Learn more about this objects unusual characteristics and down load finding charts to find it for yourself in this Sky and Telescope article on Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin). You can also view images of the comet over on Space Weather.
Morse Stars
Astroimager Jimmy Westlake took this fabulous image using a Nikon FE-2 camera with a Nikkor 35 mm flwide angle lens at f5.6 on Kodak Max 400 film. The exposure began at 10:00 PM MST and ended at 11:57:30 PM MST on 01/18/2009 in Stagecoach, Colorado.
The dots are 30 second exposures and the dashes are 3 minute exposures with 1 minute gaps between symbols and 5 minute gaps between letters. Put together using Morse Code, this pattern spells out:
.. -.– .- ..— —– —– —-.
I Y A 2 0 0 9 
