Thought we would pass along this note from our friends at Sky and Telescope:
COMET McNAUGHT: A REWARDING SIGHT AFTER SUNSET
Pardon the informal nature of this post, but I wanted to let you know that
Comet McNaught has brightened enough to be seen by eye in the evening sky
after sunset. It’s worth telling your viewers about. The comet was
discovered last August, and we held back on making a big splash because it
is very low in the sky and in the glow of evening twilight. But now it’s
become the brightest comet in decades — brighter than Comet Hale-Bopp
(1997), though not as obvious because it’s only observable in twilight.
Let me emphasize that, to find Comet McNaught, you’ll need a very clear
view to the west — no trees or buildings. Think “big open field.” And if
you wait until even an hour after sunset, it’ll be gone (setting behind the
horizon). But the comet can definitely be seen with the unaided eye, and
through binoculars or a small telescope it shows a nice tail pointing
upward. The trick is to look carefully and at the right time.
To find it, look southwest about 1/2 hour after sunset. The planet Venus
will be the obvious “star” low in the sky. Now clench your hand into a fist
and stretch out your arm — the comet is the width of two fists to the
right of Venus and a little lower down. It’ll look like a slightly fuzzy
star (like the head of a Q-tip) that’s dimmer than Venus.
Comet McNaught will only be visible to us for a few more days; after that
its motion southward in the sky will make it unobservable from the U.S.
Lots more info and graphics are at the Sky & Telescope website…
