Bulgaria Green Comet Lovejoy

Comet Lovejoy is seen on the night sky near the Bulgarian town of Bansko, Thurssay, Jan. 14, 2015. This week the comet can be observed via naked eye. Comet Lovejoy was discovered in August 2014 by the Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy. The comet is barely visible to the unaided eye. Last night it skimmed past Earth just 43.6 million miles away, as it heads towards perihelion (closest point with the sun) on January 30th. From there the sun's gravity will slingshot the icy rock back into the outer reaches of our solar system, on an 11,500 year long orbit. Lovejoy can be seen as a diffuse green smudge low in the southern sky just after sunset. The green color of Lovejoy's coma is the result of venting diatomic C2 gases, as the sun heats the comet's core. The comet won't be back for another 8,000 years. Photo by: Petar Petrov /Impact Press Group/NurPhoto (Photo by NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)