Comments on: Comet McNaught

By: Julianne

Julianne — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:25:06 +0000

What a great portrait to have! Thanks for all of the reports from down under…

By: amanda bauer, aka astropixie

amanda bauer, aka astropixie — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 02:12:35 +0000

i was stuck in the US during the cloud covered ice storms, but luckily made my way south of the equator just in time to catch mcnaught! the waxing moon was bright enough last night that i managed to get myself in the shot as well….

http://www.pbase.com/astropixie/image/73655477

By: Paul M

Paul M — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 10:19:00 +0000

I couldnt take my eyes of it for about the last 6 nights. The first night it was so bright that I could see a beautiful amber glow and the tale as it arched across our milky way here in New Zealand. One of the best memories I will ever have.

By: Garry

Garry — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 20:35:03 +0000

I live in Lismore, NSW, Australia. I have just taken some pics of comet McNaught. Although I have only a digital camera, it looks great in the evening sky. I can upload a couple to you if it would be of benefit.
GarryM

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:09:15 +0000

is there any way we can see this comet as brightly here in Asia? i was thinking that i have seen it last Friday (i live in the Philippines, a little north of the equator) bu ti thought i was just imagining things. i thought i saw some faint comet.

lucky guys in the South.

By: Julianne

Julianne — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:22:56 +0000

I’m jealous! Glad to hear that it’s still putting on a show in the south.

PS. Lots of great photos over at Clifford’s. Check out the links in the comments as well.

By: dickson family

dickson family — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:40:50 +0000

we saw it from sunbury australia victoria and it was beautiful and shinning throughout the sky!!
its a must see

once in a life time

“love ya all”

By: skeptic23

skeptic23 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:37:15 +0000

I’m not buying it - that can’t possibly be Seattle as there aren’t any clouds in the sky.

By: graviton383

graviton383 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:58:16 +0000

PS to JoA: Don’t forget your tripod this time!

By: graviton383

graviton383 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:57:25 +0000

JoA: if you want to see the comet, take a short ride to Half Moon Bay…

By: Supernova

Supernova — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:43:00 +0000

I heard a few comments about it at the AAS meeting — enough to make me think, “What bright comet?” and go look for it on the web. So we aren’t completely hopeless.

Welcome, Julianne — good to have you here!

By: Antti

Antti — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:13:58 +0000

I have similar experiences. Having heard of the comet from some of my amateur friends, I had been trying to see the comet for a week without any luck, except for a brief, though spectacular, glimpse through the car window just when it was about to set below the horizon one night (for some reason, clouds always came to cover the south-west sky by the sunset). Being a bit frustrated already, last Friday I asked my astronomer friend at the department if he had had any luck. To my surprise, he hadn’t even heard of the comet! Seems like it’s best to rely on amateur stargazers when one wants up-to-date information about what is going on in the sky…

(I did finally get a proper view of the comet as well on Friday afternoon when the sky remained clear, albeit the cost was bitter coldness, temperature sank down to -35 C. When there is a comet to be seen with a naked eye, one just must see it…)

By: Philip Downey

Philip Downey — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:48:54 +0000

Space weather has a billion pictures by amateurs around the world. http://www.spaceweather.com

I took a few too:
http://www.philipdowney.com/weblog/2007/01/comet-mcnaught-january-10-2007.html

By: Geostationary Banana Over Texas | Cosmic Variance

Geostationary Banana Over Texas | Cosmic Variance — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 14:55:16 +0000

[...] links « Comet McNaught [...]

By: littlehiggs

littlehiggs — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 07:00:54 +0000

It is good to see the impressive picture. In particular the night scene is beautiful.

By: Yvette

Yvette — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 06:54:15 +0000

Clouds are horrible; I’ve yet to see it and am worried I’ll miss my chance!

I remember Hyukatake though, as it was my first “real” comet.* I was ten years old and my dad took us all out to the countryside, and in hindsight that was what first set me down a road to learn astronomy and physics. I remember that night being amazed that anyone could possibly learn all the stars well enough to spot an imposter among them, and realizing I could do so less than five years later…

*I was born in January 1986, so my dad made sure to hold me up to “see” Halley’s Comet a few months later when it came around. Of course I don’t remember this, but with a little luck I will be one of few people to see it twice when 2061 comes around.

By: Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer

Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 06:40:07 +0000

I didn’t hear anyone talking about it at AAS either, but I did get some email about it. It really wasn’t much in the news until right about the end of the meeting. There was some talk in December that when it came back in January from being too near the Sun it might be really bright, but you know how comets are (I suppose you could say they’re mercurial).

By: JoAnne

JoAnne — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 06:33:40 +0000

I tried to see the comet at sunset over the weekend, but found out that the Santa Cruz Mountains were in my way. I missed the comet, but who’s to say who has the better view day to day!