Amazing Comet Visible in Broad Daylight

The new darling of skywatchers is also visible on the Internet. Until
about 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 15, it can be seen in near-live
images from the SOHO spacecraft, which monitors the Sun.

Amazing Comet Visible in Broad Daylight
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 14 January 2007
11:12 am ET

A comet that has generated tremendous excitement the past week became
visible in broad daylight Saturday in an event that will likely be
recalled as the skywatching opportunity of a lifetime for many people.

SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist Joe Rao called it "one of the rarest
of all cometary spectacles."

Comet McNaught is now the brightest comet in 40 years, according to the
International Comet Quarterly at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics.

The comet is rounding the Sun and has been a challenge to spot for
those watching in the evening. The daytime observations are made by
using a tall building or other promontory to block the Sun, then
looking just slightly eastward.

"I spotted it ... easily within two seconds with 7X50 binoculars as the
Sun was hidden behind a promontory," Jay Ouellet of Quebec City told
SPACE.com on Saturday.

Even your hand might do. Rao said many people saw it that way on
Saturday with no optical aids. And he advises trying again Sunday. Look
around Noon local time and search for the comet about 5 degrees left of
the Sun. That's about the width of your fist on an outstretched arm.

"Just block the Sun out with your hand and it should be sitting just to
the left of the Sun-a tiny, white, elongated spot of light," Rao
said.

Binoculars will bring out details of the tail. Astronomers caution,
however, not look directly at the Sun. It will damage your eyes.
Especially do not look at the Sun through binoculars or a telescope.

"It's fantastic," said Wayne Winch of Bishop, California on the
website Spaceweather.com. "I put the Sun behind a neighbor's house
to block the glare and the comet popped right into view. You can even
see the tail!"

Each day at Noon, the comet will get farther from the Sun and lower
toward the South.

The new darling of skywatchers is also visible on the Internet. Until
about 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 15, it can be seen in near-live
images from the SOHO spacecraft, which monitors the Sun.

Brightest since 1965

As Comet McNaught neared the Sun, more of its ice and dust was radiated
off the surface. This material reflects sunlight, giving a comet its
brilliance.

McNaught has become minus 5 on an astronomers brightness scale in which
smaller numbers are brighter and negative numbers are the brightest of
all. Venus shines at minus 4, brighter than any star. The full Moon is
minus 12.7.

The only comet since 1935 to be brighter was Ikeya-Seki in 1965. It
shone at magnitude minus 7. Comet McNaught, dazzling in pictures, is
now far brighter than was the widely seen Hale-Bopp in 1995.

Comet McNaught is named for Australian astronomer Robert McNaught, who
found it last year. The comet's evening show is nearly over for
Northern Hemisphere skywatchers now as it sets just moments after the
Sun on Sunday and then ahead of the Sun by mid-week. Beginning Sunday,
skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere might glimpse the comet soon
after local sunset.
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070114_comet_mcnaught.html