Comet Lulin Approaches Earth

I took this photo of comet Lulin on February 20, 2009 as the 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 upper right, shrinks in size.
When comet Lulin reaches opposition on February 25th, it will be directly opposite the Sun in the sky, the gas tail should completely disappear. After opposition the gas tail, if still visible, will still point away from the Sun, but it will be pointing in the same direction as the anti-tail.

At this point the comet will have crossed the meridian and the anti-tail will really no longer be an anti-tail. Both tails will be pointing away from the Sun in the evening sky!