Comet!

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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.)
January 10, 2007 7:43 PM
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!
January 10, 2007 8:32 PM
Kos said…
Great work!
January 10, 2007 9:20 PM
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!
January 10, 2007 9:56 PM
Anonymous said…
Awesome! I'm so glad you got to see it. I've never seen one, except in pictures -- yours is wonderful!
January 10, 2007 10:38 PM
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.
January 11, 2007 10:28 AM
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
January 11, 2007 7:14 PM
Keera Ann Fox said…
I hope you see it! It's so huge and clear.
January 11, 2007 8:15 PM
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!
January 13, 2007 2:35 AM
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.
January 13, 2007 12:16 PM
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