# Cool, a comet! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 10, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425 "2007-01-10T17:18:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/1 "2007-01-10T17:18:07Z")
With rare clear skies over London at sunset this evening there’s currently a great view of [Comet McNaught](http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21039889-662,00.html). I hadn’t heard about this until today, but boy is it bright! Even with a lot of sun glow in the sky it really stands out. Keep an eye out for it at sunset and sunrise 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/2 "2007-01-10T17:25:32Z")
[Here’s](http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught.htm) a picture gallery, with shots from all over. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/3 "2007-01-10T17:38:02Z")
Interesting. I wonder if it is visible from the Midwestern U.S, and what times. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/4 "2007-01-10T17:59:27Z")
I missed it, so I’m wondering if it’ll be visible on its return trip later this month; speculation is that it may be even brighter on that leg of its journey. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/5 "2007-01-10T18:00:19Z")
[QUOTE=Epimetheus] Interesting. I wonder if it is visible from the Midwestern U.S, and what times. [/QUOTE] Yes it is, just after sunset for the next couple of days; down near the western horizon. I’ll probably miss this one when clouds come in _again_ tonight and it snows tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/6 "2007-01-10T18:00:58Z")
astrodopers, please let me know when and where to look from Puerto Rico ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/7 "2007-01-10T18:01:43Z")
[QUOTE=Epimetheus] Interesting. I wonder if it is visible from the Midwestern U.S, and what times. [/QUOTE] I think it should be. I noticed pictures on that site from Iowa and such places. As for times, it is pretty close to the sun. I just saw it soon after sunset, while there was still an orange glow along the horizon. Look WSW about half an hour after sunset, very low to the horizon, and you should see it, with the tail pointing upwards. It’s to the right of Venus, which is also prominent in the west. It’s also meant to be visible shortly before sunrise - but this time in the east, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/8 "2007-01-10T18:03:53Z")
I should add that there’s quite a narrow window in which to see it - it sets not long after sunset, so you have to catch it after it’s dark enough to see, but before it dips below the horizon. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/9 "2007-01-10T18:06:42Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] astrodopers, please let me know when and where to look from Puerto Rico [/QUOTE] From glancing at the link it’s fairly close to the sun in the sky, like Venus always is, so just look for it right around sunset. It should work the same from anywhere on the planet you can see the sun rise and set. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/10 "2007-01-10T18:07:09Z")
Grrr…I went out last night but couldn’t find it – too many trees on the western horizon and no good hills to climb. Still, that’s amazingly bright with a huge tail, so I’m not quite sure how I missed seeing it. If the clouds hold off for a few more hours (unlikely), I’ll give it another try. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/11 "2007-01-10T21:28:23Z")
I can’t believe that I hadn’t heard of this comet coming… I’m usually right on top of this stuff (check out the user name!). And, of course, it’s cloudy here in San Diego today. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/12 "2007-01-10T22:20:47Z")
It’s very low in the sky for middle latitudes. I haven’t looked for it. Article, chart here: [http://skytonight.com/observing/home/5089276.html](http://skytonight.com/observing/home/5089276.html) It seems to me we’ve been really lucky with comets in the past few years. Hyukatake, Hale-Bopp, and now this. Were there any really good comets between the apparitions of Halley? There was also that brief appearance of a bright asteroid/tailless comet that passed nearby. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/13 "2007-01-10T22:49:26Z")
Got a look at it this evening. It is bright, but it’s also very low on the horizon, so you can only see it in twilight. So for me, it was just barely visible to the naked eye. With binoculars, it was quite visible with a pronounced tail. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/14 "2007-01-10T23:27:53Z")
[QUOTE=rowrrbazzle] Were there any really good comets between the apparitions of Halley? [/QUOTE] Comets [Bennet](http://www.davidmalin.com/fujii/source/af12-03_72.html) (1969/70) and [West](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_West) (1975/76) were spectacular. There were also some bright sungrazers back in the 50’s, but I was too young to see those. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/15 "2007-01-11T03:20:16Z")
We looked for it tonite but were, alas, a tad late. Tomorrow is though another spray. Many thanks, **Colophon** , for posting this. It’s the only media through which we’ve yet heard mention of the apparently impressive event. Holding hope yet for a southerly climes viewing, especially since my neighbor and his ridiculous tracking tele provide French governmental and other sites with stunning pics of distant universes. Oh Paul… ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/16 "2007-01-11T03:43:50Z")
I forgot to look, but the local news had a great shot of it from a webcam in Adair, Iowa. Very bright. I didn’t realize it would stay visible for such a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/17 "2007-01-11T04:04:46Z")
Excellent. Fat chance of seeing anything here in Atlanta, but I’ll try. The only comet I’ve seen was Hale-Bopp back in 1997. That was also the night of a memorable erotic encounter with a strapping six-foot-tall redhead. Great weekend all around. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/18 "2007-01-11T04:51:12Z")
Baldwin… you and only you misspelled Hale-Boff. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/19 "2007-01-11T06:19:23Z")
[http://spaceweather.com/](http://spaceweather.com/) has lots of info about it. Especially here —\> [http://spaceweather.com/comets/gallery\_mcnaught\_page2.htm](http://spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught_page2.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425/20 "2007-01-11T16:31:11Z")
Bah. Sky not clear enough here. I’ll have to live on memories of Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp which were both “night” comets and not just “sunset”. Anyone else remember Kohoutek in 1973? What a storm in a teacup that was. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-a-comet/387425.md?page=2)