Saturday, January 13, 2007

Comet McNaught amazing photo of it during daytime!!

This surprising comet keeps getting better and better.
I can't see it now or even try as it is cloudy here in Kansas but other can. The links below will show some of the latest photos.

Space Weather News for Jan. 13, 2007
http://spaceweather.com

Comet McNaught is now visible in broad daylight!
The comet is very close to the sun, so it is tricky to find.
Directions to try (but be careful) here's how to do it:

Go outside and stand in the shadow of a building so that the glare of the sun is blocked out. Make a fist and hold it at arm's length.
The comet is about one fist-width east of the sun.

Closest approach to the sun is this weekend.
Solar heat causes the comet to vaporize rapidly and brighten to daytime visibility.
McNaught is now the brightest comet in more than 40 years, and it may become the brightest in centuries.

amazing photo of Comet McNaught in daytime by others!!
Space Weather News for Jan. 13, 2007
http://spaceweather.com

Astronomy Picture of the Day
Nice picture of the comet after sunset
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
1/13/2007 (if not that date look in archives)

more about the Comet McNaught since its discovery at
http://cometography.com/lcomets/2006p1.html

See the coronograph pics of the comet near the Sun
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMMCRSVYVE_index_0.html
and
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/home.html

Latest SOHO image of the comet swinging by the Sun
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/c3/512/

http://space.com/
comet gallery 2
http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?imgid=4559&gid=326&index=0

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Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.

I videotaped Comet McNaught


It has been very exciting seeing this great surprise visitor Comet McNaught during these last 4 days. The bright light gold coma (brighter then magnitude -1) and the feathery tail extending for more then a degree made a superb sight in binoculars after sunset. However on 1/11/2006 I captured several videotaped minutes of the comet as it peaked in an out of the clouds near the horizon. This was the first of 40 comets that I have experienced, that I was able to videotape!
Sat 1/13/2007, I will post more of my pictures , videoclips and websites with photographs taken of the comet by others as well as links to see the comet as it heads around the Sun for the next couple of days.