Here you go - someone might like to correct it for us!
Comet set to shine
Brian Williams
January 14, 2007 11:00pm
Article from:
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STARGAZERS will be in for a treat tomorrow night, as one of the brightest comets in decades should be visible in the evening twilight.
McNaught's Comet can be found by looking west-southwest a few minutes after sunset. It is expected to be visible for about 45 minutes.
Its tail will be pointing up from the horizon and should be about two degrees long – about the width of the moon.
Canberra-based amateur astronomer Paul Floyd said yesterday it was important that viewers should get away from light pollution such as that found in Brisbane and find a clear and unobstructed horizon.
Mr Floyd said the comet had been reported in the northern hemisphere as bright enough to be seen with the naked eye but asteroids were notoriously unpredictable.
"A bloke in WA who knew where to look saw it at 11am using binoculars so I'm quite excited," Mr Floyd said. The best view will be with binoculars.
The comet, effectively an iceberg, is about 1km in diameter.
It was discovered last year by the Uppsala Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, near Coonabarabran, in NSW.
The comet, discovered in 2004, will fade rapidly after tonight and will not be seen again for 2000 years.