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[size 1]We have a hot topic to talk about at the early morning fishing hole. for you lucky dogs who are lucky enough to be on the ice that is, the rest of us will just have to go out side and look, that is if we can handle all this tropical weather....[/size]
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[size 1]HOT COMET: Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) is plunging toward the Sun. It won't hit, but at closest approach on Jan. 13th it will be much closer to the Sun than the planet Mercury. The comet will experience fierce heating and it could brighten considerably, emerging from the encounter brighter than a 1st magnitude star.
For the next few mornings, northerners can see Comet McNaught before it disappears into the Sun's glare. It's an easy target for binoculars hanging low in the eastern sky at sunrise. After Jan. 11th, only SOHO (the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) will be able to track the comet as it angles toward the bright Sun. SOHO images are posted in near-real time on the Internet, so you can watch the comet-sun encounter and see what happens.[/size]
Visit [url "http://spaceweather.com/"]http://Spaceweather.com[/url] for observing tips and more information.
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BRIGHTENING COMET: Comet McNaught is plunging toward the sun and brightening dramatically. It is now visible to the unaided eye both at sunset and at dawn. Amateur photographers have found that they can take pictures of the comet using off-the-shelf digital cameras with exposure times less than a second. Estimated visual magnitude: between 0 and -1.
To see Comet McNaught, a clear view of the horizon is essential. In the morning, go outside and face east. The comet emerges just ahead of the rising sun. In the evening, face the other way--west. The comet pops out of the western twilight as soon as the sun sets. Binoculars reveal a pretty, gaseous tail.
Northern observers are favored. The long, dark mornings and evenings of Canada, Scandinavia and Alaska are ideal for viewing this comet so close to the Sun. But the comet has been sighted in other places, too, as far south as Kansas in the United States and Italy in Europe.
Please visit [url "http://spaceweather.com/"]http://Spaceweather.com[/url] for photos, finder charts, and more information.
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[size 1]Observers around the world are reporting that Comet McNaught is now visible in broad daylight. The comet is very close to the sun, so it is tricky to find. If you want to try, here's how to do it: Go outside and stand in the shadow of a building so that the glare of the sun is blocked out. Make a fist and hold it at arm's length. The comet is about one fist-width east of the sun.
This weekend is a special time for Comet McNaught because it is making its closest approach to the sun. Solar heat causes the comet to vaporize furiously and brighten to daytime visibility. McNaught is now the brightest comet in more than 40 years, and it may become the brightest in centuries.
Visit [url "http://spaceweather.com/"]http://spaceweather.com[/url] for photos and updates.
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I think I got into trouble for staring into the sun when I was young. You're not going to trick me into doing it again.
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LOL--THAT'S funny [laugh]
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Last night at sunset, motorists in South Africa pulled over to watch what seemed to be a bush fire. As the twilight deepened, however, they realized it was something else: the extravagant tail of Comet McNaught. Even experienced astronomers say they've never seen anything quite like it. McNaught's tail materializes at sunset in the southern hemisphere and is visible to the unaided eye as a majestic fan of pale streamers.
The comet itself is visible only from the southern hemisphere, but its tail sweeps all the way back into northern skies. People in California, Colorado and Hawaii have seen it peeking above the western horizon about an hour after sunset. This "northern tail" is faint but pretty, and resembles a pale aurora borealis. (Dark skies are absolutely required.)
Visit [url "http://spaceweather.com/"]http://spaceweather.com[/url] for photos and observing tips.
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