Finally got a break in the clouds last night and tonight (from Mt Mee near Brisbane). All I can say is WOW!!! Lives up to the hype as far as I'm concerned.
I think a year ago I would have rated McN up there near the top, but then I bought my big dob and the skies opened themselves up in gloroius detail.
I love McN, but the tarantula nebula blows it away, well, maybe!
I've likened it to the difference between a wild weekend and a long romance - the latter is ultimately more satisfying, but the former brings a wry smile
Blue Skies,
Far North Queensland, 2012, A Total Eclipse. I'll be there.
If my memory is still working after Lostock. I had my brain fried by Comet McNaught.
Yes! I will be there! Planning and consideration of needs already in progress! (I read about some people who would like to build an inland highway across the continent from Laverton in WA to somewhere in QLD, that would be great, it would save days off the trip across!)
If any of you haven't seen totality yet, make sure you get to at least one eclipse in your life, then you'll understanding the ravings of committed umbraphiles.
Over the past week I've concluded that so far the two leading contenders for scams and/or hoaxes of the year are: 1) the drought, 2) the comet, not necessarily in that order.
I have to second this. Completely overcast every single day, and raining most of them. Even when the satellite photo makes it look like it should be at least partly cloudly, it's still freakin 100% overcast!!!!
I'm really disappointed to have missed out, I can't see the cloud clearing around here any time soon.
I'm voting for the best thing in the night sky. As for daytime events, I haven't seen a total eclipe (yet ), but the transit of Mercury was a buzz and I'm looking forward to the next transit of Venus.
I would like to see a supernova though, that would be a real kick
Before Saturday night I would've voted somewhere between....Yeah it's OK and What comet
Saturday night we were camped on the beach in the South east for a fishing comp. It was pretty well clouded out but at one point the clouds opened and framed the comet brilliantly. In those totally dark skies the comet stood out in all it's glory, the entire tail was displayed brilliantly.
The best sight I've ever seen in the night sky without a doubt, the group I was with were spellbound until it disappeared, I don't think anyone even thought about their rods or why we were really there while it was on show.
From my backyard in Adelaide it was absolutely fantastic. We were lucky it cleared up for an hour or so after raining the last few days, to see easily the best comet I've ever seen by far and 10 degree plus tail!!!! (no binos needed). Can't wait for tonight!
But the Total Solar eclipse in the South -east from the 1970's was something else again.
When I first heard about Comet McNaught I thought, big deal. It will be a boring little comet only visible in Bino's and only a thrill for the comet aficionados . Happy to say I am dead Wrong
Rating on par with seeing Saturn's ringsand the cassini division, as well as jupiters stripes... AWESOME! (specially when you can see it quite clearly with the naked eye.
It's GREAT that you've got a view of a comet "for the ages".
When Hale-Bopp was visible up here it was fantastic and no doubt spawned some newbies to the hobby that may not have considered it. I like the enthusiasm expressed in the posts just for the visual WOW. When I saw H-Bopp I wasn't thinking about its' perihelion or eccentricity, just WOW!
like many others I have enjoyed this comet far FAR more than I thought.
I have to rate is as being only just (fractional by a proton width) in second place to the 2002 Eclipse for me.
so my sky life time ratings stand at present:
1. 2002 eclipse and totality. ( god spoke to me and said, get a bigger Scope... and I listened in that darkness that fell around me..
2. comet McNaught, it has been grand and a view that has had my six year old telling his friends everything from how the tail works, to how we going to build a rocket to save the world from it next time round...
3. Mercury transit of 2003. Made me feel small in the universe when that little dot crawled across an angry Sol.
4. watching a metor shower of close to 120 per hour in the middle of the Karoo desert (Africa) back in November 2004. It made the opening attack of War of The Worlds, real to us...
5. my first view of Saturn and all it's rings clear and focused when I got my 6 inch refractor back in ealry 2001. The day I got my astronomy drivers licence and since then the sky has never been safe..
( ps I never got Halleys Comet, just McNaught has eclipsed it by a mile)
and what am I waiting for????, well now it's going to have be my vote for the local Supernova, that is daylight visible... the big daddy bang in our back yard!!! It will need to be super event to get into that top five list..
It's amazing that you listed your top 5. I was going to do the same in my post but decided to keep it brief. Here are my top 5
1. Hale-Bopp
2. Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact marks on Jupiter
3. My first close Mars opposition in 1971
4. Mercury transit Nov 2006
5. A spectacular June Bootid meteor shower I wasn't planning on viewing
I also have a host of WOW deep sky and doubles but this post IS about the McNaught experience.
Clear skies,
Ed
Last edited by edosaurus_rex; 24-01-2007 at 04:31 PM.
The only thing I've seen more spectacular was an aurora in the 80's that lit up most of the sky, but given the rarity of comets and the sheer size and naked eye visibility McNaught is tops.
I'm very disappointed about the whole thing thanks to tropical monsoon weather. I have yet to see it and am not likely to for a while yet. I will miss the main performance for sure. But that's how it is in Mackay. It's possible not to see the sun for weeks January-April.
My main interest in astronomy is in comets, so you can guess how I feel about missing the comet I've waited for all of my life.
Going by other people's photos and experiences I would have probably rated it number 1. If I'm lucky I'll get a look at it faintly in my 10" dob in a couple of months. Or not.
Lives up to the hype as far as I'm concerned.
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