New comet pictures - UPDATED

Whups, that link should be Astronomical Society of South Australia, sorry.

Soem info on McNaught from Astronomical Society of South Australia

* This is not an atmospheric phenomenon. It is a solar system body situated 135 to 150 million kms from the Earth this week and receding. The moon is 300,000kms away for comparison.

* The head is about 10-20 kms across (bigger than Mt Everest)

* The inner coma surrounding the head is over 4 times larger than Earth with the full coma size likely to be half as large as the Sun.

* The tail stretches 0.2 AU, or 30 million kms from the head out to space (assuming 15 degrees).

* Enormous tons of water vapour and dust are being emitted from the comet every second. The exact figure is not known.

* Comets developed in the outer solar system, are therefore icy, gassy, dusty objects.

* The comet will not collide with Earth. It was closest to Earth on Jan 15 at 122 million kms distant.

* The comet will not return.

Everest, eh? That’s one big-ass icecube.

Cheers to deano for the directions – saw Mcnaught last night!!:)

Siding spring with some sweet pics

Yeah – clouds here too last night. But the night I saw it I didn’t have to go anywhere – it was clearly visible from the front yard, and it is unmissable – just like the photos.

I trekked out to Stromlo, only to have my view obscured by pesky clouds. But I am prepared to believe this thing exists.

Look South, then s-l-o-w-l-y turn East (about 30degrees) – if you miss it, KandyA’s Triffids have made you blind too 😉 Looks like a car with headlights on, angled akwardly on a cliff-edge…

Wow! I was impressed (but then, that is pretty easy). Much better than that Halley fiasco. Hey, nice pics from ya’ll!

THERE GOES THAT ROTTEN McNAUGHT COMET!
IT MAKES ME SICK!
I WANT TO VOMET!

I have been watching the comet for a few nights, does anyone know anything about these giant plants that have appeared in my garden fking up my vegies? please respond quickly, my vision is inexplicably fading and I cant make out the screen too much longer….

oh sorry have we already had the triffid jokes?

Absolutely brilliant photos!!!!

The ones we took tonight were not as good, but my wife claims she’ll do all sorts of ‘stuff’ to the camera tomorrow to take better pics (Canon 350D) 🙂

She’s the one who’s the alleged photographer in this household!

Actually Siding Spring is not in Canberra but in Coonabarabran. Robert McNaught is based at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Australian National University.

discovered by a Scottish astronomer

Scottish born but based at Siding Springs Observatory here in Canberra. He has twelve other comets named after him and an asteroid as well.

From todays Times on Line:

Giant comet lights up skies
Catherine Boyle in Australia

A comet discovered by a Scottish astronomer has transformed southern hemisphere skies this week.

Thousands of people have gathered in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa to watch Comet McNaught, the brightest comet seen from Earth in more than 40 years. It is one of very few comets that can be seen by the naked eye in daylight and is around 140 million kilometres (87 million miles) from the Earth.

The comet consists of a head bigger than Mount Everest and a tail that stretches 30 million kilometres into space.

Yeah, but wear dark glasses!

You will be able to see it tonight (clouds willing). It is moving away from the Sun as so is getting fainter by the day. It should be visible for the next week before it becomes too faint to see with the naked eye.

so i should still be able to see the comet tonight?

Good O

Best time is between 9:00pm and 9:30pm. Look just south of where the Sun has just set.

Basically where the sun goes down. The best time is meant to be when the sun has just gone down – just as the twilight fades. Stand somewhere darkish, and look towards the horizon.

Look into the sky, towards the comet.

Which way do we have to look again?