Comet McNaught (2006/P1) - discussions

[danielsun]

I so far have been shattered that the constant clouds here have barely given me the slightest chance of seeing it.

[MrB (Simon)]

It's not looking good for us sandgropers, cloud moved in about midday today and the BOM is forecasting showers for tomorrow

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

It looks like clear skies for South East Queensland!
I've packed the car, left dinner in the fridge for the boys and I'm heading off early to find a high hill with unobstructed views.
Good luck everyone.

Don't forget the spare batteries Dennis.

[IceAgeComing]

it is perfect tonight, hopefully it's still bright! (do you think it'll be at least a -3?)

[MortonH]

Aagghhh, lots of cloud around Sydney tonight, mainly in the west!

I haven't seen it since Monday, and while I sympathise with those who haven't seen it at all yet, all these photos showing a long tail are making me really jealous!!!

BTW, have you checked out www.spaceweather.com ? There's a picture from the US that supposedly shows the end streamers from the tail - VISIBLE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE!!!


Morton

[IceAgeComing]

for **** sake, i'm about to give up. All day it was a blue dome, just as venus was becoming visible HUGE black clouds came rolling in covering the entire sky. I havn't seen it once. (i'm convinced what i saw last night at the beach was venus)

[fringe_dweller]

Originally Posted by MortonH

BTW, have you checked out www.spaceweather.com ? There's a picture from the US that supposedly shows the end streamers from the tail - VISIBLE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE!!!

Morton

that is truly truly amazing, if true, cant see why we cant do the same here? so that is a 10-15 d section of the fainter tail they can see!!!!! there is no emoticons for this situation i'm afraid - this just gets more freaky so now we are up too a 10-15 plus another 25d!! of dust? tail -they look like ion streamers, but they could dust tail synchrones (type III tail)possibly?

[dcnicholls]

Merimbula socked in too.

DN

[CoombellKid]

Well at about 19:00 I think I managed to nab comet Mcnaught twinkling
away in the haze to the west, with venus up to the right. Too light to
see any tail, so that's why I'll just say I think I nab it lol same as last
night crap in the west beautiful in the east.

regards,CS

[dennisjames1]

yay success and wasn't just beautiful and that tail...how's the view at Kilcoy?

[GrahamL]

Just came back from viewing it rob .. I don't think it showed itself till
8.25 or so .. weirdly a jet with a tail stream appeared earlier right
about were it should of been .

[CoombellKid]

I probably meant about 20:00, as I just remembered I have my PC set 1hr
behind, the daylight saving feature in SN does seem to work quite right. It
was pretty much where SNP said it would be. Then clouds came in only a
few minites later, couldn't detect any tail, but the murk low in the west
isn't doing any favours out here. That's why I said I only think I might of
nabbed it.

regards

[MortonH]

Kearn, check out the images just posted before mine in the images thread. The fantail has been imaged from Brisbane, and the picture is way better than the one on Spaceweather.

Morton

[asterix]

Got a great view tonight - had the neighbours and kids over too as I was on my front driveway. It looked best in the 12x50's, curved tail was visible naked eye though. Got some photos I'll put in the image thread.

[badabing82]

hey guys and gals after being out of the astronomy game for many years this comet has sparked my intrest and i got my first view 2night and i have to say it was amazing def better then hale-bobb the tail is much much more impressive. So it even inspired me to take out and dust off my trusty 6inch f5 refractor and the fast f ratio made for amazing viewing. Anyway here's hoping to clear cloud free sky's so we can enjoy this moment for a bit longer.

regards to all Daniel

[WadeH (Wade)]

Just got in from another fantastic viewing. This makes five consecitive days and nights of clear weather. I know they say its slowly faiding but with the later setting it just appears to get brighter. Isnt that long curved tail just amazing? Todays clouds just parted long enough for a half hour look and as it set into the trees up came some clouds again. Still looks fantastic through 10X50's.

[rogerg (Roger)]

Originally Posted by WadeH

Just got in from another fantastic viewing. This makes five consecitive days and nights of clear weather.

That's pretty good... I thought tonight would be cloudy for sure... there was cloud up where we are all evening, although somewhat thinner wispy stuff.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

The view from Kilcoy was outstanding. I found a new viewing spot on top of a hill overlooking the township.
That tail, boy o boy, it just goes on and on.
Even way after the nucleus set, the tail looked like a ray of sunlight coming up from the horizon.
Images in the other thread.
I'm profoundly grateful to have had the chance to experience this.

[MrB (Simon)]

Clouded out Down here in Rockingham, dang blast dang.
Some of you Perthites may have noticed it a little to the south of the comet?.
I sure noticed It was clear-as just a little further north of me... grrrrr.

Did get to see it for about 3 or 4 mins in a gap in the cloud.
Then another few mins as the head went thru another gap.... with the tail still going thru the previous gap!
I reckon I can see more than 7deg of tail naked eye.
How do I know? coz with the coma sitting on the bottom of the FOV of my 7X50's, the top of the first cloud gap hit the top of the FOV... 7deg.
Got photo's but not developed yet.

This comet is damned impressive, fingers crossed the weather is better tomorrow.

[GrahamL]

glad you got to see it jjj ..hope everyone else gets a shot to