|
Post by Bruce on Jan 18, 2007 20:48:46 GMT 12
Hi everyone, those of us in the Southern Hemisphere are in a prime viewing location for Comet McNaught, one of the brightest Comets in recorded History. It is visible tonight to the Southwest just after sunset, and it is spectacular! I saw it from my workshop, out in the country where there are no houses or streetlightlights to spoil it, it is beautiful. I would encourage all antipodean forumites to go and have a look at it, it is so worth it. I remeber staying up to see Comet Halley in the 1980s and was a bit disappointed, but this is way better. in the next few days they reckon it may even be visible in daylight, although being close to the sun it could be difficult to see without filtered lenses. Tomorrow night it will be above the Horizon for most of the night, sweeping around to the south. just look southish, you cant miss it, it is 200 times brighter than the brightest visible star!. If some of our photogs with big lenses could try and get it, please post some pics for our Northern friends who wont be able to see it. the Period of the Comets orbit has not been calculated yet, but is estimated to be several thousand years - so dont try waiting until it comes around next!
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 18, 2007 21:29:16 GMT 12
I went and had a look earlier, it is simply magnificent. So much brighter and more spectacular than that hpyed up Haley's Comet, which was a huge disappointment in 1986. Though I did enjoy staying home from school back then so I could see Giotto fly through Haley's tail live.
I agree with Bruce that it's well worth going out and looking at. I saw it about 9.30ish when there was still the last remnants of light in the sky from the sun, but the stars were just coming out. It outshone everything.
|
|
|
Post by mumbles on Jan 18, 2007 21:37:44 GMT 12
Saw Halley's, saw Hale-Bopp Spent the last two nights trying to see this one only to have cloud arrive in exactly the wrong place Better luck tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Jan 19, 2007 21:20:01 GMT 12
Carried out an experiment with one of the university's brand new EOS-400D cameras tonight. I went well out into the countryside southwest of Cambridge, on a deserted road in the middle of a swamp, with clear views of the southwestern Horizon and no streetlights etc. Setting the Camera up on a tripod I tried some long exposure shots of the comet. The 18-55mm standard lens really wasnt up to the job, but did manage to get the shot below, although it has been cropped slightly and resized in post. Exp 30 sec, F5.6 taken at approx 9.40pm. It was a good chance to try out some of the less commonly used features of the new camera, although being unfamiliar with the location of some controls, I should have taken a torch to see properly! Once again the comet looks fantastic, far better viewed with the naked eye than peering through a camera. Saying that though, some of you guys with decent lenses may be able to get far better pics of it.
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 19, 2007 21:31:12 GMT 12
Hmm, I think there was a smudge on your lens Bruce... oh, that's that comet? :-)
It did look good gain tonight, I spent more than half an hour out watching from lamb Street and chatting to the nextdoor neighbours. It was brighter last night though, a little bit of a haze layer has crept in tonight (probably from Aussie's bushfires).
There was a good photo taken from Ruapahu tonight on TV3's news.
|
|
|
Post by mumbles on Jan 19, 2007 22:33:38 GMT 12
More cloud. Meh Maybe tomorrow. What annoys me is we had almost perfect viewing conditions earlier in the week only I forgot about it. Double meh.
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 21, 2007 0:06:01 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by flyjoe180 on Jan 21, 2007 10:27:47 GMT 12
Don't these people read or watch the news? Everyone is talking about the comet.
|
|
|
Post by phil82 on Jan 21, 2007 11:09:48 GMT 12
Well, it is Auckland Dave, and the NZ Herald....
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 21, 2007 11:29:35 GMT 12
Well, it is Auckland Dave, and the NZ Herald.... Not just Aucklanders Colin "A police spokeswoman in Wellington confirmed they had also received calls from "people who were wondering what was happening".
|
|
|
Post by phil82 on Jan 21, 2007 13:28:53 GMT 12
Yeah, but I bet they were in chardonnay alley in Wadestown: "I say Cyril, there's a brait lait over there; do ring the policeman chappy for me". Then again, it might have been Helen checking they weren't flying a Skyhawk without permission.
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 21, 2007 13:47:53 GMT 12
Nah, she's in penguin land at the moment.
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Jan 21, 2007 22:34:24 GMT 12
It is surprising how many people never read a paper or watch the news, they seem happy to go around in sheer ignorance, when they come to vote its no wonder we get the results we do...
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 21, 2007 22:39:26 GMT 12
True Bruce. My sister is like that. She thinks knowing who's in all the latest movies, and who's dating who in Hollywood are the big ssues to know. hmmm
|
|
|
Post by kiwi on Jan 22, 2007 21:38:24 GMT 12
Drove up to Kohi Point this evening to see the Comet , waited and waited and man was it worth it , very cool , very spectacular , drove home and discovered we could see it from home .
|
|
|
Post by mumbles on Jan 23, 2007 21:40:02 GMT 12
FINALLY seen the comet. Brilliant ;D
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 23, 2007 22:13:18 GMT 12
I went out earlier in the evening for a look but there was cloaud coming up. After your post I decided to look again. Cloudy as hell now, can't see a thing. So you're lucky down your way.
On the way back in I noticed two police cars at the end of the cul de sac. Hmm, something's going on.
|
|
|
Post by corsair67 on Jan 24, 2007 10:19:24 GMT 12
Saw it last night and it looked spectacular. I thought it'd be pretty small, but by 9.45pm it had a huge plume formed.
Better than Halley's! ;D
|
|
|
Post by flyjoe180 on Jan 24, 2007 19:53:07 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 25, 2007 20:12:51 GMT 12
Here are a couple of excellent shots sent to me by Timothy Moore to put on the thread:
|
|