Comet McNaught Update

Comet McNaught is on its way to a close encounter with the sun. Currently, McNaught is visible even during the daylight hours, but unfortunately, we have been shrouded in clouds throughout the weekend. I’m hoping for a chance to view it tomorrow or the next day.

Click map for a larger view of skymap from spaceweather.com

How to find McNaught in the daytime sky: If you’re going to be someplace where the sky is clear over the weekend or early this coming week, be sure to look for McNaught around noon - local time. McNaught will be found approximately 5 degrees to the left of the sun. Check out the sky map. The best way to measure 5 degrees in the sky? Your closed fist, stretched at arm’s length, is approximately equal to 5 degrees. Be careful though - the sun is a formidable foe when it comes to trying to view objects in the daytime sky! Also, do not ever aim binoculars, telescopes, or cameras at or even near the sun - the risk of eye damage is too great! Be sure to look around online to get daily updates on the location, intensity, and projected path of the comet. Below I’ve included some links to help you out.

• For daily updates on McNaught, chck out SpaceWeather
• Check out the list of the brightest comets of the last century (Comet McNaught is currently #2!)
• Also check out the spaceweather Gallery of photos - be sure to view each page
• Check out my personal on previous posts: Not for Naught: Chasing a Comet, Comet McNaught 2.0, and Comet McNaught Rounds 3 & 4
• View the Sky and Telescope Gallery of Comet McNaught photographs