FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Re: Comet McNaught in the evening

["Jimmy Ray" <jimmy_ray@xxxxxxx>]

From Space Weather:

BRIGHTENING COMET:  Comet McNaught is plunging toward the sun and
brightening dramatically.  It is now visible to the unaided eye both at
sunset and at dawn. Amateur photographers have found that they can take
pictures of the comet using off-the-shelf digital cameras with exposure
times less than a second.  Estimated visual magnitude: between 0 and -1.

To see Comet McNaught, a clear view of the horizon is essential. In the
morning, go outside and face east.  The comet emerges just ahead of the
rising sun. In the evening, face the other way--west. The comet pops out of
the western twilight as soon as the sun sets.  Binoculars reveal a pretty,
gaseous tail.

Northern observers are favored.  The long, dark mornings and evenings of
Canada, Scandinavia and Alaska are ideal for viewing this comet so close to
the Sun.  But the comet has been sighted in other places, too, as far south
as Kansas in the United States and Italy in Europe.


-----Original Message-----
From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Jimmy Ray
Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 6:36 PM
To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Comet McNaught in the evening


The thin veil of high clouds sitting on the western horizon pretty well
obscured a chance of seeing any object (Comet, planet, star) that would have
been within a few degrees of the horizon. Venus was about as low as you
could go before you were in the soup...

I guess that observation counts as "Nothing seen" (Mr. Crayon?)

Jimmy Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Steve Coe
Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 6:18 PM
To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Comet McNaught in the evening


Tom, et al;

There were low clouds this evening and I did not see anything looking
through the low cloud cover.

Steve Coe


-----Original Message-----
From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Polakis
Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 10:50 AM
To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Comet McNaught in the evening

Steve,

We failed to see it, and I really thought we had done everything right,
including a plot with a horizon using planetarium software.  We even set =
the
Pronto up on the roof; I'm sure the neighbors were amused.  I wonder if =
I
was looking too low, as I had the altitude at only a half hour after =
sunset
as being only about half that of Venus.  Sounds like operator error on =
my
part.

As for the -4 magnitude, I've been reading 0 or -1 on the comets-ml
Yahoogroup.  It is more than 4 magnitudes brighter than the orginal
ephemeris.

Tom

---- Steve Coe <stevecoe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:=20
> Howdy all;
>=20
> I just, and I do mean just, caught a quick look at Comet McNaught =
above
the
> sunset.  About 45 minutes after the ball of the Sun disappeared, I =
made
the
> observation below.  This is from Phoenix, I have a pretty flat western
> horizon and there is a gentle climb to get to my house.
>=20
> 8X42 binoculars from my driveway, very faint, low contrast round glow =
just
> seen in the evening twilight.  Not much from in town with the =
binoculars,
> but there was a faint fuzz ball at the correct position "under" =
Altair.
It
> has an altitude just less than Venus in the western sky. =20
>=20
> I don't know who said that this thing has a calculated magnitude of =
-4,
but
> it certainly was a lot fainter than Venus to my eye.
>=20
> I hope someone else got a chance to see it;
>=20
> Steve Coe
>=20
> --
> See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and =
please=20
> send personal replies to the author, not the list.
>=20

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