man, you guys are lucky! It is almost near impossible to catch even a glimpse of the comet from Malaysia, the geometry isn't just right... skimming just above the horizon (never reaching 4 deg).
Oh well, might try my luck during daytime! But for, just keep feeding the photos guys, I'm enjoying as much as I can!
Sighted it about 1.30pm today. I had to put some sunnies on and put the sun behind a gutter but it was there all right! About two finger-widths east of the sun.
Haven't been game to try with binos yet, but might try a bit later when the sun gets lower. I'm also planning to meet with a friend to view it at sunset. This should be good! I have a very clear memory of both Halley and Hale-Bopp so I'm looking forward to comparing McNaught with those two.
Cloudy and very hazy here in Brisbane but managed to get some hazy blue skies around 1:25pm and to my great suprise was easily visible in 15x70 Binoculars as on obvious cometl. Very impressive object. Too hazy to see it with naked eye unfortunately, but at least mag -5!
What can I say. We have beautiful clear skies here in Adelaide, and I am lying on my lawn chair in the shade of my house at 4pm observing a comet!
Not posting to gloat, just to give those with less favourable conditions some news to read.
With 12x50 binos, I can see quite a bit of detail. The nucleus is more than just a pin point. There is a bright halo around the nucleus, with part of the tail visible and fanning out quite wide, trailing almost directly east.
Also used my 200mm f/6 with 40mm eyepiece. This was a bit tricky to set up with the sun that close to the field. Less tail visible, in fact the view in 12x50s is better.
Can't wait to see how long the tail appears at twilight.
Yes, after a fair bit of hunting (with the sun hidden behind the eaves) I've just come in from having been able to observe good detail just now with both the 10x50 and 15x70 binocs. Impressed to see it so obvious and bright (even the non-astronomical amongst us), and what a glorious tail. Beautiful and sunny here at the moment.
Yes its stunningly bright. Skies in newcastle not good, hazy and bright but the core was almost uncomfortably bright to look at. Cant wait for a sunset view tonight. Bert's 300, f2.8 lens is all ready to go for a sunset session tonight.
Scott
Thanks to Ivans presice directions I have now joined the daylight viewed team. Very easy to find and as for the reward, WOW!!! It is just spectacular. Very bright coma (is that the word?) and the tail easily seen. This was all through 10X50 binoculars using our house as a sun shade. Must have looked rather strange to passerbys while laying on my back with the binos pointing upwards.
Once the clouds cleared away late afternoon from my location in Montrose, Tasmania, and using the house as shade from the sun, I managed to findit quickly using my trusty old 7x50 binos.
It is an easy naked eye object once you know where to look - I never thought that I would live to see the day when I would see a Comet in broad Daylight, let alone the tail – Wow.
I spent over an hour from 4:00 PM just looking at it with: Naked eye, 7x50 and 25x100 binos and the 8” Telescope.
What a magnificent sight - never to be forgotten.
How cool was that!
Spotted the comet through high cloud using the 10x50 binos. Only managed about 30 seconds of viewing before it slipped behind heavier cloud.
Hoping for better things tomorrow evening.
It's great reading this thread.
I spotted the comet at 7.10pm from Brunswick, Melbourne by hidding the sun behind the roof of my house.
In my 10 x 50 binoculars there was a diffuse halo around the nucleus with a distinct triangular coma/tail. Extremely bright! this thing will be amazing in the next few days!
By the time I got my 12.5" scope out I could no longer spot the comet due to some very light high cloud and my eyes being too affected by glare.
IT IS A GREAT DAY FOR COMET OBSERVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That all depends on where you are looking from! Its a complete disaster here south of Tamworth due to bushfire smoke from near Dubbo. Smoke so thick that no stars were visible last night, and no sign at all of the comet in 10X50B in the middle of the day today
Hopefully the upper level winds will shift before tomorrow evening.
Comet McNaught viewed after sunset, through bushfire smoke haze from Kyneton Vic.
Naked eye, 10x50s, and Orion 90mm ST.
Managed a couple of photos, but smoke haze made them disappointing.
Still beautiful to see! The next few nights should be spectacular!
Smoke haze and thickening cirrus ruled out viewing in Canberra this evening (see image), and a daytime sighting wasn't possible in 10x50 binoculars (in the absence of a GoTo mount), but readily visible in 25x100 Oberwerks during the day. Very intense nucleus, significantly brighter than 2 days ago.
Just got back from observing this great sight, my first naked eye comet and I was not dissapointed. One image I took is here242kb. Next time, will need to get the scope out and have a look
I observed MacNaught through scattered cloud this evening. At 8pm (about 10min before sunset it was clearly visible through 7x50 binoculars but just as a stellar point. My 15x80's showed a stellar nucleus with what looked like a 45° fanned tail but the edges were quite distinct and pronounced.
I would recommend my viewing site in Sydney on Flinders Slopes. The Sun set right on the theoretical time for Sydney.
It is part of that reserve complex which runs between Georges Hall and the Hume Hywy. Although the bushland is on both sides if Henry Lawson Drive, the slopes are on the west side. Driving north from Georges Hall, along Henry Lawson, Denman Rd. is on the right, this is followed by the entrance to Flinders Slopes on the left (less than 500m). Don't drive in (for it closes at 7:30pm) drive past a few hundred metres and park on the road and walk into the carpark and you're there.
we have just come back ,from viewing the comet ,with scott alder ,david hough what a very bright comet,viewing was not great we like others had clould and some smoke,this appears to be avery bright comet.better viewing tomorrow
Very easy to find and as for the reward, WOW!!! It is just spectacular. Very bright coma (is that the word?) and the tail easily seen. This was all through 10X50 binoculars using our house as a sun shade. Must have looked rather strange to passerbys while laying on my back with the binos pointing upwards.
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URGENT PODCAST - McNaught
