Comet McNaught seems to be a gift that keeps on giving. Last night here in Los Angeles, just after the sun set, I stepped out to look from a nearby elevated spot – and there it was. With binoculars, it’s an impressive sight, and possibly the last naked-eye visible comet sighting for a long time. Unfortunately, I have no equipment that I can use to take a decent photo for you, so I can’t share what I saw. (Some pictures from around the world are here.)
But you can go out and look. I give some viewing tips below. [See update at end, however.]
What you’re probably puzzled about now is why the experts kept getting the “last chance to see” message wrong. People seemed very sure back on Wednesday that it would be gone from view -and I did a post to that effect myself- and and the same thing was said on Thursday and then on Friday.
I’m guessing that this is because although they can track the position rather well, they have no way of accurately knowing what the apparent brightness will be (it is a complicated object, daily evolving , which is reflecting sunlight so that you can see it), so you can see it earlier in the day than expected, and there’s more time to see it before it drops from view behind the horizon. This must be the origin of the almost daily surprises we’re getting.
There was not a cloud in the sky all day yesterday (Saturdaya) and so I went out to look, expecting it to be hugging the horizon at about the time it would be dark enough for me to see it. I lost a lot of time scanning close to the horizon after sunset only to find it – just when I was giving up – a considerable way above the horizon. I was able to stand there for a good 10-15 minutes and view the comet. I was hoping some people would come by so that I could show them this wonderful sight, and strangely, nobody came by at all. Just as it disappeared, three people approached. Too late. So I told them what to do the next day, just in case.
If you live in LA, have a look this evening, as we have another spectacularly clear sky all day. There’s a chance it might be clearly visible again. It is so easy to get to a point where you can see the horizon clearly in this city. I recommend going to the top of a building (like a parking structure) that allows you a view to the West, or somewhat South of West. Or, go up to the hills. Maybe take an evening stroll in Griffith Park, or Runyon Canyon. Alternatively -maybe the best option- just go to the beach. The sun sets at about 5:05pm, and within a few minutes after that, as the sky darkens a bit, you ought to be able to see it. Take some binoculars if you have someb. Look above the point where the sun set, and slightly to the left. You’ll see a white object with a short tail streaming away upwards. Looks a bit like a badminton shuttle. There are slightly more technical instructions at this site, but you really don’t need them.
I’ve now learnedc that you might be able to see it during broad daylight! So go out and look, perhaps after lunchtime. Go here to see a description of how best to do it, but I’m guessing that it might be enough to just hold your fist out in front of you to block out the sun, give your eyes time to adjust, and then look on the Eastern side of the sun and off to the side. Scan a wide field, relaxing your eyes first. Or block the sun using a convenient building, rim of open window or door, or other object to obstruct the sun for you. Remember, it is relatively close to the sun, so be careful. Do not look directly at the sun, and certainly not with any optical instruments like binoculars.
It is probably safest (for using binoculars) and surest to wait for the sunset view though.
-cvj
[Update Monday 15th Jan: I’m pretty sure it is beyond view now. It was daytime visible for some yesterday (reported to me by Perry Rose who was up on Mount Wilson), and there was too much haze on the horizon for me to see anything that evening. Tonight had conditions as good as Saturday, but I saw nothing, so I assume it is too close to the sun to give a clear window of opportunity to see it between sun setting and it setting. -cvj]
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a… and it was extremely cold here too – a real LA Winter!! On my way home driving back from some friends’ in Pasadena in the wee hours this morning, it was at freezing temperatures at some points on the highway, and this morning I heard on the radio that there’s ice on some highways. The Downtown LA record low temperature of 37 degrees F was reached in the early morning as well. I know, you’re laughing, but this is big deal here. Some of you are surrounded by snow right now, and so think this is quite silly. Ok, there won’t be any snow in the city (I imagine!) but for our Winter snow, we do get a lovely view of snow from the city by looking over to the distant mountains. It is quite beautiful.
bI find it too faint for my eyes, but it might be brighter today, who knows?
cThanks Amara! See also the Bad Astronomer.
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Hi,
Perhaps I’m totally off base about this, but that sounds like very much the wrong time to see the comet. I’d say you saw another celestial body of some description. But it does sound quite lovely all the same…!!!
Cheers,
-cvj
Hello,
I live in Elizabeth Lake California 93532 (just North of Los Angeles). This morning Jan 16th 2007 at 3:45 a.m. I was getting ready for a trip to Boston. I was placing my bag inside my truck and looked up to see the comet. Very bright and lighting up a large area of the sky around it. I had seen a quick mention on the news about it, but was surprised to actually see it.
I am an absolute novice to this so I am not sure how to place the position in the sky, but I would have to say the comet looked just slightly west of where the sun set the night before, and just above the hills in front of my home (Grass Mountain). This morning it was very clear and cold outside.
I did manage to get a pair of large binoculars and see it much closer, but I wish i had a telescope.
I wanted to share this with anybody else in the area and hope they can catch it as well. Unfortunately I am in Boston until Thursday afternoon, but I hope it is still around Friday morning.
By the time I left the house at 4:00 a.m. there was no trace of the comet, and I am not really sure how much earlier the thing was visible before I saw it at 3:45.
I will bookmark this site to see if anyone else sees it in the early morning hours in Southern California, please respond if you do. Just a chance sighting has really sparked my interest in this. Really amazing.
Thanks for the site and the chance to record what I saw.
Scott
Clouds suck. 🙁 I’ll be in the southern hemisphere a month from now though, so judging by what I hear it should still be good in binocs then at least.
Well, I’m glad others are having better luck than myself. It’s been persistently cloudy here all week with intermittent rain, and as of now we’re under a winter storm warning. My observing efforts have been reduced to watching SOHO imagery. I suppose that’s better than nothing. 🙂
*shakes his fist at the sky*
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/2007_01_08/C2006P1_C3_full.gif
You can look at the comet against the “background of the sun” here
The clouds are heavy laden with snow now, so I don’t think I’ll get the chance again.
🙁
AS to temperatures. When I step off the plane in Phoenix about two years ago it was a balmy 113 degrees F, so I understand how such temperatures could seem extreme to various parts of the Hemisphere and it’s people.
Walking the ruins of of the “cliff dwellers” I wondered then, what such temperatures would have caused them, living the way they did.
Hmmmm, you’re not the only person who mentioned to me recently that they merely “skimmed” a post of mine. Skimmed!! The cheek of it…. 😉
Cheers,
-cvj
Oops, I skimmed your post too fast.. you suggested the brightness as a factor for the ‘last chance’ predictions too. It’s late, long day, and I’m tired. sorry!
Clifford: I think the ‘last chance’ that I kept reading might have been more to do with the comet’s brightness. Noone expected that it would be so bright (and to be visible DURING DAYLIGHT !! ). Each time the brightness estimate was increased (now being in negative magnitudes). As for its location near sunset, the comet was higher than I expected when I located it for the first time too, so I’m not sure why people said (and me too, copying the reports) that it would be “too low”. Maybe folks generally have higher obstructions at their skylines than what you or I have.
At this point I suggest for everyone in the Northern Hemisphere to try to see it every day, until you hear on the net that the Southern Hemisphere folks are seeing the comet … then you’ll know it is near the end for your viewing. I read somewhere, don’t remember where, that later next week the Southern Hemisphere people can begin to see it.
The one passer-by who asked what I was looking at last night didn’t seem impressed when I lent her my binoculars and told her where to look. This was right before the comet was about to set, so sure, it wasn’t spectacular, but come on! Who doesn’t get excited about fuzzy blobs in the sky? 😀
I tried finding it in daylight about an hour ago, with no luck. The sky is nice and clear here in the SF Bay Area, but chilly temperatures and high winds are making for a less-then-ideal observing experience. I did manage to find Venus, though, so I’ll try again in a while for McNaught.
The SoCal newscast I saw spend a good three minutes featuring a garden in which the sprinkler system had been left on the previous night. Which obviously resulted in the garden being completely covered in ice. The amusing thing – other than the length of time devoted to the piece – was that the news anchor felt it necessary to explain to the doubtless incredulous viewers what icicles are.
The weatherman on the local news was beside himself last night. Absolutlely beside himself. His jaw dropped (he told us) when he saw the predicted temperatures for the LA basin (35F for downtown LA) for last night. I am torn between my amusement that the local news spent over 20 minutes discussing this incredible freeze, and my worry because these temperatures really are a problem for people (citrus growers, homeless) here.