For the past month backyard astronomers have been hoping that Comet Lulin would, as comets often unexpectedly do, brighten, and become an object visible to the naked eye. Alas, binoculars are still needed.Comet Lulin swung around the Sun on January 10th and is now heading out of the solar system. Fortunately it will still be visible, with binoculars, through March.
I've plotted the rough position of the Comet on the sky chart above. It is near the constellation Leo right now (March 1) which is in the eastern sky. If you view the moon around 8 or 9pm, simply turn and face in the opposite direction. Leo is about the same elevation as the moon but will rise in the sky as the evening progresses. Best viewing is around 11pm when Leo climbs higher in the sky, although at this time the elevation of the moon will not be a useful guide.
The comet will appear as a bit of a smudge. It has two tails, one trailing out behind it and another directly ahead of it which is formed by the solar wind blowing gas off of the comet.
Photo Credit: Modified from Google Sky
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