I took the top photo of comet Lulin on February 20, 2009 as this comet neared it's closest pass with Earth February 23rd. The reddish dust tail, the anti-tail, seen on the left, grows larger as the faint gas tail, at lower right, shrinks in size.
For this photo I used my 90mm F/11 refractor & -0.5 focal reducer.
In the lower photo taken February 25, the date of opposition, the gas tail points directly away from Earth & Sun and is unseen because the comet is directly opposite the Sun in the sky.
This is a very rare alignment for a bright comet.
The dust tail is well presented & at it's longest & brightest.
Over 1.5 degrees of dust tail is seen. This photo was taken at low power with my 80mm F/5 refractor & -0.5 focal reducer.
For this photo I used my 90mm F/11 refractor & -0.5 focal reducer.
In the lower photo taken February 25, the date of opposition, the gas tail points directly away from Earth & Sun and is unseen because the comet is directly opposite the Sun in the sky.
This is a very rare alignment for a bright comet.
The dust tail is well presented & at it's longest & brightest.
Over 1.5 degrees of dust tail is seen. This photo was taken at low power with my 80mm F/5 refractor & -0.5 focal reducer.
