Comet McNaught -- can you see it?

[hm0504]

Just noticed this:
"Stargazers abuzz about new comet McNaught, brightest seen in decades":
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/070111/g011111A.html

Anyone spotted the comet yet? If so, please indicate your location.

This may help you find it:
http://www.heavens-above.com/

[hm0504]

Just noticed this:
"Stargazers abuzz about new comet McNaught, brightest seen in decades":
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/070111/g011111A.html

Anyone spotted the comet yet? If so, please indicate your location.

This may help you find it:
http://www.heavens-above.com/

[nacktman]

Not yet, but I'll try and see if I can catch a glimpse of it.

[missouriboy]

McNot ! http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/sad3.gif

[Nude in the North]

Best chance now is for our Aussi friends.
I checked it out on Astronomy picture of the day.
It's only visible to the southern hemisphere now from what I gathered.

Steve

[NudeAl]

I saw it the other night and it was quite impressive. I was amazed by how bright it was very easy to see with the naked eye. A friend said it would be something like 100 years before it was visible again.

[hm0504]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by NudeAl:
I saw it the other night and it was quite impressive. I was amazed by how bright it was very easy to see with the naked eye. A friend said it would be something like 100 years before it was visible again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks. Where did you see it? Washington State? How much over the horizon was it? Did you see it in the late evening or early morning?

[NudePete]

Apparently the days to see it best was last weekend at just after sunset. Each day that passes has the comet setting earlier and earlier, getting lost in the glare of the setting sun. However, it's closeness to the sun is now an advantage.

I read a report that says you can see it during the day. Go out at noon and look south west, making sure you are in the shadow of something blocking out the sun. It should be visible close (about a fist-width, when held at arms length) to the sun.

Here is a link to the Astronomy Picture Of The Day (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) site, and here is one to the Spaceweather Photo Gallery (http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught_page7.htm), with some daytime shots.

[NudistGuy47]

I was able to catch a glimpse of McNaught here in the DC area on Friday. I heard the news commentator say it was visible right after sunset and and the location to view. I checked it out and found it in the sky just after sunset, but by the time I set the telescope up, it was gone.

Being in awe of the natural things, I will keep the ears open and eyes on the sky to catch the next one!

[NudeAl]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by hm0504:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by NudeAl:
I saw it the other night and it was quite impressive. I was amazed by how bright it was very easy to see with the naked eye. A friend said it would be something like 100 years before it was visible again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks. Where did you see it? Washington State? How much over the horizon was it? Did you see it in the late evening or early morning? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes Washington state, it was last week and right after sunset about 5PM and it was in the western sky just above the horizon.

[nifocinphx]

Just noticed this on What's Up in Space -- 30 Jan 2007 (http://www.spaceweather.com/)

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Comet McNaught is now a circumpolar object over New Zealand--"we can see the comet all night long," says Minoru Yoneto of Queenstown, NZ, who took advantage of the extra observing time to make a spectacular 5-minute exposure (http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/mcnaught/28jan07/Yoneto1.jpg) of the comet, the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It is a <u>spectacular</u> photo!

nifocinphx http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/user.gif

[hm0504]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by nifocinphx:
Just noticed this ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wow! Thanks.

[nifocinphx]

From <A HREF="http://www.spaceweather.com/index.cgi" TARGET=_blank>
What's Up in Space -- 1 Feb 2007</A>

"Is it a hallucination? A painting by Dali? Bad science fiction?

None of the above. This is a real photo of Comet McNaught and the southern Lights" -

http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/images2007/30jan07/Yoneto1_strip.jpg

"Minoru Yoneto of Queenstown, New Zealand took the picture on Jan. 30th shortly after a solar wind stream hit Earth, triggering a strong geomagnetic storm. 'The comet lost its tail among the auroras,' says Yoneto.

Comet McNaught is receding from Earth and fading, but it is still an easy target for photographers in the Southern Hemisphere. Exposures as short as 20 seconds produce spectacular results."

Link to Comet McNaught Photo Gallery, Page 21 (http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught_page21.php)

nifocinphx http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/user.gif