| Archive for db-astro.org Dalgety Bay Astronomy Club |
| pbholmes |
Comet McNaughtA sun-grazing comet is in the neighbourhood.Because it's close to the sun right now, it can only be seen near dusk or dawn. Might be bright - might not. For full details go to http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070104_comet_mcnaught.html. |
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| pbholmes |
It is bright.
Here it is as seen from Ridgeway, looking west over Letham Hill, this evening just after sunset. 
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| Alderney99 |
Good pic! The "airliner headlights" effect shows up well. Looks like a true "Great Comet" at this naked-eye size, intensity and tail. Caught it at 5pm tonight from outside of BAe Systems north front door - clear sky to the west - amazingly bright nucleus and very long tail - makes the 2 "Great Comets" of 9-10 years ago look like tiddlers. Have to confess I was told to look at it by my wife! I'd no idea it was there! - seems it only flared in the past few days (was expected mag 11, now could be mag -2 today) - nothing on the usual UK websites (BBC "Science", Astronomy Now, etc). Fortunately had the 7x50s in the car, so all got a closer look before it went below the clouds. Further pics at [url]www.spaceweather.com [/url]- excellent site, lot of aurora photos & other phenonema (e.g. they had a lot of Scottish pics of the Oct 2003 aurorae) as well as sunspot monitoring, CME alerts, etc. |
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| seabay |
Comet McNaughtGreat picture! No luck seeing the comet down here in Seaford (you could say, so far (mc) naught luck; ouch!). Am going to keep trying anyway!By the way - did anyone catch the eclipse holiday featured on the BBC last night? The scene from Ghana of the eclipse that some of us (take a bow, Solar B!) caught in Turkey last year! |
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| Alderney99 |
Re: Comet McNaught[quote="seabay"]"Great picture! No luck seeing the comet down here in Seaford (you could say, so far (mc) naught luck; ouch!). Am going to keep trying anyway!"Mcnaught not visible here last night - heavy cloud, but even when it cleared towards west at 5pm comet either below the cloud deck or has moved sunward very rapidly - could'nt even see the tail. "By the way - did anyone catch the eclipse holiday featured on the BBC last night? The scene from Ghana of the eclipse that some of us (take a bow, Solar B!) caught in Turkey last year!" Missed that - but caught the 1999 eclipse from the Channel Islands (from Alderney in 1999, oddly enough - still have the T-shirt!). My own humble pics that day were no worse than the "Offical Photographer's" ones - but the actual effects at the moment of entering totality ("2nd contact"?) on the air temperature, light conditions and sound ambience were unforgettable. |
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| Dean |
Comet McNaughtThis picture was taken by Robert McNaught (who discovered the comet)
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| seabay |
Comet McNaughtHere's another spectacular one!http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/sp...sci_nat_enl_1169462771/html/1.stm I'm just off to the southern hemisphere; anyone else coming?? 
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