Comet!

YES! I saw the McNaught comet!

As I walked home from work, I saw that the skies were clearing thanks to an icy wind. At home, I kept looking out my west-facing windows, and then: I noticed something not supposed to be in our skies. I couldn't get a picture through the window, so I ignored my freshly heated dinner waiting in the microwave, threw on boots and down jacket, wrapped scarf and camera around my neck, and went out. I walked to the top of the knoll in front of my building, on soggy and muddy ground getting a crispy, white covering as the wind froze the pathetic bit of snow we got earlier today.

Looking out over the roof tops towards the fading light to the southwest, I got a perfect view and a long moment of awe. I love that tail!

Comments

Paula said…
Cool! I need to take pics of interesting things. However, I live in the O.C. (Supply your own joke.)
Tim said…
I wasn't even aware that there was a comet in the "neibourhood" - and I'm a science nerd. Ok, so, the website says it can be viewed during early sunrise and late sunset. I can do this, and will post my own pictures of it.

I noticed you got an obvious patch of clear skies there. See? It's not so uncommon!
Kos said…
Great work!
Keera Ann Fox said…
Paula, take one comet and... Oh, you get the picture. ;-)

Tim, this is the clearest sky we've had since Christmas Day, and up till then, that was the clearest day so far this winter. Things may be a tad less cloudy your way.

Jeff, thanks!
Anonymous said…
Awesome! I'm so glad you got to see it. I've never seen one, except in pictures -- yours is wonderful!
Keera Ann Fox said…
It's my first! Even though Halley's has whizzed by in my lifetime, this is the first time I've seen a comet in real life. Impossible to mistake it for a plane with an exhaust trail; it seemed to hang motionless for quite a while.
SolSionnach said…
Wonderful pic, Keera - I'm going to try to see this comet the next clear day/night.

I did see Hale-Bopp way back when - it was a pretty, and pretty awesome, sight
Keera Ann Fox said…
I hope you see it! It's so huge and clear.
Anonymous said…
Keera, there was a photo of the McNaught in my local paper this morning, taken by someone in Canada. The photo wasn't nearly as impressive as yours -- it was just a round object in the sky and didn't offer a representation of the tail at all!
Keera Ann Fox said…
I got a good view, all right. (I'm still amazed.) I've noticed that Astronomy Picture of the Day is posting pictures from Europe. Today's is from Krakow.

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