at 1:13 PM by Mallory Schnell

Comet Lovejoy is Quite the Model

Comet Lovejoy, or “C/2014 Q2″, has been very photogenic for viewers around the world as it nears closer to the sun. Comet Lovejoy passed closest to Earth on January 7th, still remaining millions of miles away, but becoming increasingly visible for those of us here. The comet will reach its perihelion, or time when it is closest to the sun, on January 30th. The comet is getting brighter and its coma is becoming larger as it nears its perihelion (earthsky.org).

The comet’s bright color is difficult to see with the naked eye, but photographs show that Comet Lovejoy has a stunning greenish tint. Capital Weather Gang wrote a recent article on the comet, in which they interviewed Sky & Telescope magazine’s editors. Here is what they said about the comet’s color:

The green glow flows from diatomic carbon molecules in the coma that fluoresce in response to ultraviolet sunlight, they said. The comet’s long delicate gas tail is tinted blue, thanks to carbon monoxide ions fluorescing.

This, no doubt, has lead to beautiful photographs of the comet being captured all around the world. Below are just a few stunning images:

For more photos, check out Capital Weather Gang’s latest article.