Daytime McNaught from 42N

I took off from work a little early today to hit the spot with the west
view. Clouds were hovering over the horizon, but below the sun's
position. I put up a thumb to block out the sun, and I saw a bright
object that looked somewhat like pictures of Hubble's Variable Nebula.
I'd say it was comet McNaught, and unless told otherwise, I'm going to
remain convinced that I say McNaught in daylight, just south and east
of the sun (up and to the left of the sun hovering over the western
horizon). I was thinking it might just be a contrail, so I observed for
several minutes, and it didn't move. The clouds that were hovering on
the horizon eventually made their way east far enough to obscure the
sun and the bright object. If I did indeed see McNaught, it was
absolutely amazingly bright and easy to see.

Steve Paul
Shirley, MA

On 12 Jan 2007 15:21:07 -0800, "Stephen Paul"
wrote:

If I did indeed see McNaught, it was
absolutely amazingly bright and easy to see.

Wow, if that is true then those that had clear southwestern horizons
this evening at sunset must have had a quite a show. That did not
include me.

---
Michael McCulloch

I tryed to use binos to spot it, but with the humide that's hanging over
S.Calf Desert all I got was white glair.


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html


"Michael McCulloch" wrote in message
...
On 12 Jan 2007 15:21:07 -0800, "Stephen Paul"
wrote:

If I did indeed see McNaught, it was
absolutely amazingly bright and easy to see.

Wow, if that is true then those that had clear southwestern horizons
this evening at sunset must have had a quite a show. That did not
include me.

---
Michael McCulloch

Starlord, it's too late to help you now, but I was able to find it at about
2 PM local time, and then I watched in binos and, eventually, my TV-85 until
it set behind my mountains. I never saw it with the naked eye, but my best
view was with my Swarovski spotting scope just before it set. We had some
high clouds, which actually helped my eyes to focus while looking through
the binos. Even in the bright sky near the horizon, it was visible once I
knew where it was.
--
Curtis Croulet
Temecula, California
33°27'59"N, 117°05'53"W

I was using my 10x50's looking for it. I held up my fist to block running
into the sun and I carefully searched the sky for it, not only the glair
didn't help, but the 15mph ICE COLD wind wasn't helping at all either and
even with 4 shirts and 2 jackets on I just couldn't stay out long enough to
do a real good scaning, so me scan was fast and then back into my trailer.


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html


"Curtis Croulet" wrote in message
...
Starlord, it's too late to help you now, but I was able to find it at
about 2 PM local time, and then I watched in binos and, eventually, my
TV-85 until it set behind my mountains. I never saw it with the naked
eye, but my best view was with my Swarovski spotting scope just before it
set. We had some high clouds, which actually helped my eyes to focus
while looking through the binos. Even in the bright sky near the horizon,
it was visible once I knew where it was.
--
Curtis Croulet
Temecula, California
33°27'59"N, 117°05'53"W

Stephen Paul wrote:

I took off from work a little early today to hit the spot with the west
view... I put up a thumb to block out the sun, and I saw a bright
object ... I was thinking it might just be a contrail, so I observed for
several minutes, and it didn't move... If I did indeed see McNaught, it was
absolutely amazingly bright and easy to see.

Intriguing. I was driving west on the Mass Pike, and started looking
for
the comet right after the Sun set. A few minutes later, from 4:40-4:45
EST, about 5 miles east of Sturbridge, I saw something in just the
right place that was just about the right size and shape. But I also
wondered if it was a contrail, because it was glowing like crazy --
not hard to see at all. For reference, I was unable to locate Venus
at that time, though it was much farther from the Sun's glow. Frankly,
it's hard to believe that the comet has gotten that bright. It would
have
to be at *least* ten times brighter than Venus to be so prominent.

- Tony Flanders

it's hard to believe that the comet has gotten that bright. It would
have
to be at *least* ten times brighter than Venus to be so prominent.

You benefited from almost 10 degrees of additional latitude compared to me.
My latitude gives me Canopus and Omega Centaurus, but it was a disadvantage
for this comet. This was the first time I've seen a comet in daytime,
though. I never tried with Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake.
--
Curtis Croulet
Temecula, California
33°27'59"N, 117°05'53"W

wrote in message ups.com...
Stephen Paul wrote:

I took off from work a little early today to hit the spot with the west
view... I put up a thumb to block out the sun, and I saw a bright
object ... I was thinking it might just be a contrail, so I observed for
several minutes, and it didn't move... If I did indeed see McNaught, it was
absolutely amazingly bright and easy to see.

Intriguing. I was driving west on the Mass Pike, and started looking
for
the comet right after the Sun set. A few minutes later, from 4:40-4:45
EST, about 5 miles east of Sturbridge, I saw something in just the
right place that was just about the right size and shape. But I also
wondered if it was a contrail, because it was glowing like crazy --
not hard to see at all. For reference, I was unable to locate Venus
at that time, though it was much farther from the Sun's glow. Frankly,
it's hard to believe that the comet has gotten that bright. It would
have to be at *least* ten times brighter than Venus to be so prominent.
Hi Tony,
Around 4PM I rough aligned my GoTo scope on the Sun and
then Venus to aid in locating McNaught. This was from
a patio in Randolph, MA. By about 4:30 it was a naked
eye object that did look like a glowing contrail pointing
upward. I wonder if on I90 in the Sturbridge area Venus
might have been obscured by an incovenient hill just as
you were seeing McNaught.
--

Hilton Evans
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lon -71° 04' 35.3"
Lat +42° 11' 06.7"
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http://mysite.verizon.net/hiltonevan...troimaging.htm
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