Comments on: Bright comet this week! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:05:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Caddie http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27487 Caddie Mon, 05 Feb 2007 19:50:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27487 Scotland's not the place for clear skies - whatever the season - but a brilliant view of Comet McNaught the nicht in bright cloudless skies, virtually due west @ 1900 hours, even without binoculars; with binoculars, the sight is tremendous. Viewed over Cowal peninsula from Helensburgh. Scotland’s not the place for clear skies - whatever the season - but a brilliant view of Comet McNaught the nicht in bright cloudless skies, virtually due west @ 1900 hours, even without binoculars; with binoculars, the sight is tremendous. Viewed over Cowal peninsula from Helensburgh.

]]> By: JS http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27486 JS Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:03:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27486 This week we can see it in Uruguay, it is amazing to see it at plain view, without needing binoculars. We are going to miss it after is gone This week we can see it in Uruguay, it is amazing to see it at plain view, without needing binoculars. We are going to miss it after is gone

]]> By: Bryant http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27485 Bryant Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:02:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27485 Somebody tell me it wasn't just wishful thinking! Late afternoon ( 4:45 p.m. or so) on January 17 in SAlem County, New Jersey (everything I read said Comet McNaught would not be visible in nothern hemisphere after the 15th) I noticed a "sliver" of brightness low in the sky as I drove home (I WAS looking for the comet since I read it had brightened immensely and was visible in daylight--I figured that meant northern hemisphere daylight. Worst of all, I hadn't been able to spot it in several earlier attempts during the previous week). Thinking at first it might be a distant airplane contrail, I noticed it did not move and continued to be visible over a period of 15 minutes or more. When I arrived home, I grabbed my binoculars and WOW!!!!! The tail split into two, shimmered around and came together, split again and was spectacular until it got too low to the horizon and blinked out of sight. Just goes to show, you never know!!!!! Somebody tell me it wasn’t just wishful thinking!
Late afternoon ( 4:45 p.m. or so) on January 17 in SAlem County, New Jersey (everything I read said Comet McNaught would not be visible in nothern hemisphere after the 15th) I noticed a “sliver” of brightness low in the sky as I drove home (I WAS looking for the comet since I read it had brightened immensely and was visible in daylight–I figured that meant northern hemisphere daylight. Worst of all, I hadn’t been able to spot it in several earlier attempts during the previous week).
Thinking at first it might be a distant airplane contrail, I noticed it did not move and continued to be visible over a period of 15 minutes or more. When I arrived home, I grabbed my binoculars and WOW!!!!! The tail split into two, shimmered around and came together, split again and was spectacular until it got too low to the horizon and blinked out of sight.
Just goes to show, you never know!!!!!

]]> By: icemith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27484 icemith Sat, 13 Jan 2007 11:22:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27484 I'l have to wait about 20 hours to see the McNaught Comet, so I hope it will be fine. I notice that Mark Smith got his shot, I presume in the clear sky over near Parkes, in Australia, so it was a pity I didn't know about it last week when I came thru that area. However I was not on any computer for the previous month. Such is life. Do I detect a boo boo in the BA sky sketch above showing the tail of the comet NOT facing away from the Sun? Um, er, or should I have not mentioned it? Ivan. I’l have to wait about 20 hours to see the McNaught Comet, so I hope it will be fine. I notice that Mark Smith got his shot, I presume in the clear sky over near Parkes, in Australia, so it was a pity I didn’t know about it last week when I came thru that area. However I was not on any computer for the previous month. Such is life.

Do I detect a boo boo in the BA sky sketch above showing the tail of the comet NOT facing away from the Sun? Um, er, or should I have not mentioned it?

Ivan.

]]> By: Comet! | K-Squared Ramblings http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27483 Comet! | K-Squared Ramblings Sat, 13 Jan 2007 01:54:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27483 [...] The skies were surprisingly clear today. Four of us walked outside after sunset to a bridge near the office, and saw Comet McNaught. It was visible from ~5:10/5:15 to 5:28, at which point it slipped below the line of hills to the west. [...] […] The skies were surprisingly clear today. Four of us walked outside after sunset to a bridge near the office, and saw Comet McNaught. It was visible from ~5:10/5:15 to 5:28, at which point it slipped below the line of hills to the west. […]

]]> By: A Ler…-- Rastos de Luz http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27482 A Ler…-- Rastos de Luz Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:15:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27482 [...] “Bright comet this week“. Ainda o cometa do momento, no Bad Astronomy. Ainda sobre este tema, a ler “Comet Mcnaught (C/2006 P1) Finally! (with pictures)“, no Astroprof’s Page, e “Comet C/2006 P1 Mcnaught”, primeira e segunda partes, no Davep’s Astronomy, e “See the Brighest Comet in 30 years“, no Universe Today. “The Interstellar medium along the Sun’s Trajectory“, no Astroprof’s Page. [...] […] “Bright comet this week“. Ainda o cometa do momento, no Bad Astronomy. Ainda sobre este tema, a ler “Comet Mcnaught (C/2006 P1) Finally! (with pictures)“, no Astroprof’s Page, e “Comet C/2006 P1 Mcnaught”, primeira e segunda partes, no Davep’s Astronomy, e “See the Brighest Comet in 30 years“, no Universe Today. “The Interstellar medium along the Sun’s Trajectory“, no Astroprof’s Page. […]

]]> By: Ed Davies http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27481 Ed Davies Fri, 12 Jan 2007 13:10:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/01/11/bright-comet-this-week/#comment-27481 Seen here in High Wycombe, UK (between London and Oxford) on Wednesday and Thursday evenings by various members of Wycombe Astronomical Society. One nice picture submitted to our image gallery so far: http://wycombeastro.org.uk/gallery/comets/stan_McNaught_20070110 Seen here in High Wycombe, UK (between London and Oxford) on Wednesday and Thursday evenings by various members of Wycombe Astronomical Society. One nice picture submitted to our image gallery so far:
http://wycombeastro.org.uk/gallery/comets/stan_McNaught_20070110

]]>