SKYNEWS COMET ALERT

A Surprise Comet at Dusk

UPDATED JANUARY 15

Comet McNaught is by far the brightest comet since the visit of Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997, becoming so brilliant when it was near its closest point to the Sun on January 14 that it was visible without optical aid in a clear blue sky at midday. It was then about 5 degrees from the Sun at an estimated magnitude of -5! This is several magnitudes brighter than predictions, making this a “surprise” comet of historic proportions.

Daylight comets are extremely rare. In the past century there have been only three others: The Great Daylight Comet of 1910 (not to be confused with Halley’s which appeared in the same year), Comet Skjellerup-Maristany in 1927, and Comet Comet Ikeya-Seki in 1965.

As recently as the first week of January, no one was predicting the full extent of the display about to occur. In evening twilight on the January 10th and 11th, Comet McNaught reached magnitude -2 as it descended into the twilight. Because its brightness was subdued by twilight, McNaught did not equal the truly great comets of the past generation, Hale-Bopp (1997) and Hyakutake (1996), which were seen in fully dark skies. Nevertheless, many observers have been delighted by the early January cosmic visitor. Now Comet McNaught is heading into the southern hemisphere sky where it should put on another fine performance.

Comet McNaught was discovered by astronomer Rob McNaught last August at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia, but it only became bright and observable early this month.

Comet McNaught on the evening January 10, by Terence Dickinson, 0.5-second exposure at ISO 100 taken from near Napanee, Ontario, using a 200mm f2.8 lens on a Canon 20D digital camera.

Alan Dyer, 1-second exposure at ISO 100 taken January 6 from east of Calgary, Alberta, using a 200mm f2.8 lens on a Canon 20D digital camera.

Michael Elkan
January 11, 2007
Point Grey, Vancouver, British Columbia

Pierre Martin
January 10, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Shane Finnigan
January 10, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Jon Gunning
St. Thomas, Ontario
January 10, 2007

Phillip Downey
St. Catherine's, Ontario
January 10, 2007