Comet McNaught (2006/P1) - discussions - Page 10

erick (Eric) · #**181** 14-01-2007, 11:08 PM

Just back from viewing, then reading all the posts. SUPER!

I had much the same view, it seems, as other Melbournians - heavy cloud on the western horizon was worrying, but the smoke and cloud of earlier in the day had cleared leaving a bit of haze.

I set up bayside an hour before scheduled sunset, then couldn't resist scanning the sky (very carefully remembering Galileo's blindness!) with my 12x60s mounted on tripod and moved very gradually across the target area. Suddenly, there it is

- bright nucleus and some tail visible. Moved to the 20x80s and again, with care, searched until I found it. Tried to view with naked eye (plus my specs!), but too much sunglare and some haze. Patience, Eric.

Busied myself taking shots of the setup and the Bay/Sun.

Cloud broke into two banks and the sun fell behind one - I banged off some shots. Sun back out in the break, but where was the comet? Silly boy brought only one tripod which I had now dedicated to the camera. Has it gone behind the first cloud bank?? Sun now dropped behind the final cloud bank, but not yet set. No sign of the comet - banged a few more shots anyway. Almost ready to give it away when, hand-held in the 12x60s, there it is - still just above the first bank. Lower the binoculars and there it is - the first comet I've seen in daylight hours. (OK, I'm cheating a little - the sun was fully obscured by thick cloud.) My less-than-impressed wife, who couldn't see it in the binoculars earlier, could also now see it with spectacle-assisted naked-eye.

Now I could observe the comet and choose my shots as the cloud moved into interesting patterns below it. It finally dived into the cloud and sadly, the lower break had filled in and that was it for tonight. Gradually packed up while savering the moment.

What have I got to show? Nothing yet - the slide film is still in the camera and I've more shots still available for other opportunities later this week. I, and you, will just have to wait

. I particularly want to know if that seagull did obscure the comet when he flew through one shot!

Watching Venus brighten in the sky as I drove home leads me to hope that, unless Comet McNaught (2006/P1) is exceedingly Mcnaughty and fades dramatically, the evening views later this week will be tremendous.

Happy comet-hunting everyone!

Pack · #**182** 15-01-2007, 12:02 AM

Sat on the beach near Glenelg facing west from sunset to approximately sunset + 15mins.

Comet easily visible in a standard 7x50B, barely visible in the 10x25B, not visible to the naked eye - at least for the 3 of us who were looking. Sky was clear of clouds but a strong haze low on the horizon made it difficult to pick out much detail. In binoculars a diffuse central spot was clearly visible with a fan shaped tail - which appeared very short probably severely limited by poor contrast due to the haze & bright sky. Mercury was not visible in any binoculars, but Venus was above most of the haze and was clearly visible in binoculars (but not naked eye during the observation period).

iceman (Mike) · #**183** 15-01-2007, 06:54 AM

Great reports from everyone, and

to all the new members who found us due to Comet McNaught!

I went to Long Jetty last night, viewing across to the lake to the WSW. The sun was much further to the South than I expected, so the mountains were closer and obscuring more horizon than I was expecting. I used my 11x70 binoculars for some time trying to spot the comet.

I eventually found it as a faint, difuse white patch of sky, with a 45° fan like tail extending above and to the right.

Conditions were quite average, with high scattered cloud and thick cloud just above the mountains. I got a few pictures, and then while waiting for it to get darker, I lost visibility of it and never found it again. I'm guessing it went behind some of those clouds.

Hoping for better conditions tonight, and I think i'll go further north towards The Entrance, for a longer view across the lake to the WSW.

Images here: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...0&postcount=94

brett · #**184** 15-01-2007, 08:00 AM

sorry i checked as much of the posts as i could and couldn't see a mention as to how long the comet will be visible to us for? 2 weeks? longer? shorter?

thanks

acropolite (Phil) · #**185** 15-01-2007, 08:08 AM

I took a stroll to the end of the street where visibility to the south west is good, couldn't spot the beasty, there was a lot of smoke on the horizon and I suspect this obscured the comet. I'll give it another go tonight.

erick (Eric) · #**186** 15-01-2007, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brett

sorry i checked as much of the posts as i could and couldn't see a mention as to how long the comet will be visible to us for? 2 weeks? longer? shorter?

thanks

brett, check this out:-

http://www.astmag.com.au/Comet_McNaught.htm

lepton3 (Ivan) · #**187** 15-01-2007, 10:12 AM

FYI, Comet McNaught is still daylight visible from Adelaide. I have just observed it at 0927 local time. It has moved a little further from the sun, and appears dimmer than yesterday.

Fairly easily seen in 12x50 binoculars, and can be seen naked eye once you know exactly where to look - but is very low contrast, and would require very clear skies I think.

Observed last night leading up to, and for about 1/2 hour after sunset. It was easily visible to the naked eye, and the tail appeared longer with naked eye than through binos.

It never really got out of the glare of the sun - there were a lot of underwhelmed general public where I was observing. Hopefully for them it will be further from the glare tonight.

For those of us who normally only get to see a faint smudge late at night, this is fantastic!

Ivan

iceman (Mike) · #**188** 15-01-2007, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivan

there were a lot of underwhelmed general public

You're right about that. Glad I didn't take the family last night, would've been a great anti-climax for them.

I'll take them tonight though, so hopefully it will be much more spectacular, in the darkness a bit more and hopefully with less cloud.

Lee · #**189** 15-01-2007, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erick

brett, check this out:-

http://www.astmag.com.au/Comet_McNaught.htm

cool - can't wait for it to move higher..... the very reason it is so bright is what is hampering viewing it the most now!

Volans · #**190** 15-01-2007, 11:30 AM

G'day All,

I managed to spot the comet in 10X60 binoculars and a 4" Mak from the Redcliffe Pennisular last night (14th of Jan). I was accompanied by Argo Navis and another friend. A wonderous sight

!! There was high level cloud causing some haze and it was some time before we were able to spot this hairy star.

It is a crying shame that the Courier Mail has published such an atrocious article about the comet. The journalist and his correspondant have managed to make a complete dog's breakfast of what should have been a very simple article. It is on page 3 of today's (15th Jan) Courier Mail. In an article only 9 small paragraphs long, there are 6 paragraphs with glaring errors.

Hopefully the cloud will clear again for Brisbane.

Peter.

jslasher · #**191** 15-01-2007, 11:32 AM

I spotted the comet on Sunday 14/01/07 some 15-minutes after sunset from about 10-kilometers outside Broken Hill with a pair of 8 x 40 binoculars. Quite a treat. Too bad it set so quickly. However, it should be up for 39-minutes after sunset tonight. jslasher.

ving (David) · #**192** 15-01-2007, 11:55 AM

too many pages to read so i dont know if this link has been posted:
http://www.universetoday.com/2007/01...n-the-daytime/
I am going to give it atry today at lunch if its sunny

middy · #**193** 15-01-2007, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volans

It is a crying shame that the Courier Mail has published such an atrocious article about the comet. The journalist and his correspondant have managed to make a complete dog's breakfast of what should have been a very simple article. It is on page 3 of today's (15th Jan) Courier Mail. In an article only 9 small paragraphs long, there are 6 paragraphs with glaring errors.

Just read the article online .... what a hoot!

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...003419,00.html

Hope the link is usable, I don't know how to do one of those trendy 'Click here' things.

iceman (Mike) · #**194** 15-01-2007, 12:39 PM

ROFL nice article

erick (Eric) · #**195** 15-01-2007, 12:42 PM

Here you go - someone might like to correct it for us!

Comet set to shine

Brian Williams
January 14, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/source...ouriermail.gif</IMG>

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.

ving (David) · #**196** 15-01-2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

"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.

BE VERY CAREFUL Y'ALL IF YOU USE ANY TELESCOPES OR BINOS. VERY CLOSE TO THE SUN. YOU DONT WANT TO SEE THE SUN THRU BINOS UNPROTECTED!!!!

this bloke cant make up his mind if its a comet of asteriod

Volans · #**197** 15-01-2007, 01:06 PM

Well, these are the corrections [in red] that I would make.

Peter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by erick

Here you go - someone might like to correct it for us!

Comet set to shine

Brian Williams
January 14, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/source...ouriermail.gif</IMG>

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.
[ Since when has the Moon been 2 degrees in width? The Full Moon is half a degree wide therefore the tail would be 4 Full Moon's in length.]
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.
[I was observing from Redcliffe - well within Brisbane's light dome.]
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.
[Yes, asteroids can be unpredictable in their orbits - Apophis is a good example. But we are talking about a comet...not an asteroid!!]
"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.
[Can this dimension be confirmed?]
It was discovered last year by the Uppsala Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, near Coonabarabran, in NSW.
[I'm sure Rob McNaught will be amazed to hear that the telescope made the discovery and not him. At least the year of discovery was acurately reported.]
The comet, discovered in 2004, will fade rapidly after tonight and will not be seen again for 2000 years.
[OOOOppps...spoke too soon! Apperently, in direct contradiction to the last sentence, the comet was discovered 3 years ago! All the reports I have seen suggest a hyperbolic orbit which means it will NOT come back at all!]

erick (Eric) · #**198** 15-01-2007, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ving

BE VERY CAREFUL Y'ALL IF YOU USE ANY TELESCOPES OR BINOS. VERY CLOSE TO THE SUN. YOU DONT WANT TO SEE THE SUN THRU BINOS UNPROTECTED!!!!

Yes, I very hesitantly set up on a tripod and carefully scanned near the sun. Still couldn't avoid picking up glare. Had a few bright purple dots in my vision for the next 15 minutes.

erick (Eric) · #**199** 15-01-2007, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volans

Well, these are the corrections [in red] that I would make.

Peter.

The reader must wonder what happens after 45 minutes - does it just go "Phut" and go out?

(It's always interesting to read a newspaper article on something you know about - you learn just how much these reporters just make up!!)

Zander · #**200** 15-01-2007, 01:43 PM

is it possible to view the comet during the day with the naked eye??
i was speaking to someone last night at the beach and he said it was brighter yesturday at 12 o'clock than it was last night just after sunset. he said he could view it with the naked eye, just by blocking the sun with his hand :S, i have tried today to see it, no success