Comet visible today ( a real one not the white goods shop)
Posted by: Ian G. on 10 January 2007
McNaughton's comet can be seen with the naked eye in the western sky just after sunset (we've just had a good view here in Edinburgh) No telescope is needed this is a bright thing with a big vertical tail.
Very cool.
More details below.
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BAA electronic bulletin No. 00263
http://www.britastro.org/======================================================================
Further to BAA e-bulletin 262 this comet is now a spectacular object in the early evening twilight. Denis Buczynski reports that he saw the comet tonight from a site north of Inverness. In the evening twilight he estimated that the comet was as bright as Jupiter and a tail of several degrees was visible with the naked eye.
Over the next few nights the comet will be best seen in the evening sky. You will need a clear western horizon and should start looking as soon as the Sun sets. The comet should be obvious at an azimuth of around 240 degrees and the tail will be pointing almost straight up from the horizon. The comet is also visible in the morning sky at an azimuth of around 110 degrees around 30 mins before sunrise but circumstances are not as good as in the evening.
By perihelion on January 12th the comet could be brighter than Venus. It has been seen through gaps in the cloud so make an effort even if the weather prospects look poor. This is a rare opportunity to see a very bright comet.
Posted on: 10 January 2007 by JamieWednesday
Cool, I thought it was just a bright planet I could see on the way home, I guess it was that.
Posted on: 10 January 2007 by arf005
Just posted this in the Stargazing thread, hadn't noticed you'd started this one Ian sorry....
Posted on: 10 January 2007 by Ian G.
quote:
Originally posted by arf005:
Just posted this in the Stargazing thread, hadn't noticed you'd started this one Ian sorry....
No sweat Ali, in fact, I swithered about adding it to yours, but decided against in the end.
Ian
Posted on: 10 January 2007 by Chris Kelly
"swithered". What a great word!
Posted on: 10 January 2007 by Chillkram
Haven't seen it yet owing to the cloudy skies here for the last few days. Edinburgh must have cleared up since I was there last week though, Ian. My wife and I were nearly blown across Queen St on Hogmanay!
Mark
Posted on: 10 January 2007 by Mand
Hi Ian
Could you elaborate on the azimuth part of your post as I'm not sure what that means.
Thanks Mand
Posted on: 10 January 2007 by Chillkram
Posted on: 10 January 2007 by Ian G.
quote:
Originally posted by msc:
Hi Ian
Could you elaborate on the azimuth part of your post as I'm not sure what that means.
Thanks Mand
That techy text is lifted from a BAA circular, but basically it just tells you to look west as sunset and east at sunrise!
Mark: yes we had a nice day today, but it is the eye of the storm I think, given tomorrow forcast.
Ian
Posted on: 11 January 2007 by Ian G.
Posted on: 12 January 2007 by Mand
Some fantastic pics on the bbc site.
I went out at 10pm to an elevated location as the clouds cleared. Saw nothing, only stars.
Was this too late in the evening?
I'll go out tonight but at about 8pm if its cleared, want to try my D50 which i've still not used yet.
Mand
Posted on: 12 January 2007 by Ian G.
hi,
I think that is much to late. Try more like 30 mins after sunset.
Ian
Posted on: 12 January 2007 by Stephen B
Those are great pics. I didn't realise it was so bright.
I'm hoping for a clear sky tonight.
Posted on: 12 January 2007 by arf005
Due to the earth's rotation the comet sets, much like the sun, some time after 5pm - depending on your altitude and how clear a view of the western horizon you have.
You can start to see it just after sunset and it was at it's brightest, when I saw it on Wednesday, while it was still high in the sky, this was at 4.30pm or just after.
I was hoping to see it again yesterday but didn't have clear skies, and it looks much the same today!
It's heading into the southern hemisphere though so won't be around for much longer......
Cheers,
Ali
Posted on: 12 January 2007 by Steve Bull
Superb, but it's been so gloomy and cloudy down here this week that we've barely seen the sun, never mind comets!
Steve
Posted on: 14 January 2007 by Mabelode, King of Swords
Saw it at sunset today. Not too easy to spot here in the southern hemisphere - very close to the horizon and lasting only about 20 minutes, and for most of that time, too much sunlight to see it really glow. But even so - amazing.
Steve
Posted on: 23 January 2007 by arf005
Some stunning images of Coment McNaught....looks like the southern hemisphere are getting a more spectacular view than we did - check that tail out!!
Cheers,
Ali
Posted on: 23 January 2007 by Mabelode, King of Swords
Yup, it's been getting better over the past week, and was stunning tonight. Beats Halley's comet by light years.
Steve
Posted on: 23 January 2007 by arf005
Have you got the means of digitally capturing it Steve...???
Cheers,
Ali
Posted on: 23 January 2007 by Chillkram
Wow, stunning!
I never did get to see it, unfortunately.
Mark
Posted on: 24 January 2007 by Mabelode, King of Swords
quote:
Originally posted by arf005:
Have you got the means of digitally capturing it Steve...???
Cheers,
Ali
Only my crappy little camera - I'll give it a go tonight but I don't think it'll work out.
Steve
Posted on: 25 January 2007 by arf005
A couple more impressive pics.....
Cheers,
Ali
Posted on: 25 January 2007 by JRHardee
We were overcast throughout. Agonizing!
Posted on: 25 January 2007 by arf005
We were lucky to have two clear evenings, just, but the comet and tail wasn't as spectacular as in these shots - taken from Australia....
Posted on: 25 January 2007 by Chillkram
It's not fair. Surely it's enough that they won the cricket!
Mark
Posted on: 25 January 2007 by Mabelode, King of Swords
I've seen it four nights in a row now

Steve