comet McNaught

yeah i think it a theme..i will only look up for now..

Astro Bob blog: Changing tires in the company of a comet
Another unexpected adventure while basking under a Comet McNaught's glow, plus a new finder chart to see the comet while it's at its brightest.
By: Bob King, Duluth News Tribune
Changing tires in a comet's company


Comet McNaught made a fine sight this morning in Perseus in this photo taken around 2 a.m. While the short tail immediately to the right of the comet's head was not visible in binoculars, the long tail was and appeared like a delicate smoke trail. Details: 200mm lens at f/2.8, ~3 minute time exposure at ISO 800 on a tracking mount. Photo: Bob King



I don't know why each time I'm out before dawn to see Comet McNaught a little extra adventure gets tossed in the mix. I drove north out of Duluth last night to escape the clouds and set up telescope and camera on a gravel road at a location with a wonderful 360-view of the sky. This time the sky was very clear, no clouds to mess with, and the comet was a spectacular sight. It's now circumpolar for the northern U.S. and Canada and never sets, so I first spotted McNaught about 12:45 a.m. low in the northeastern sky in Perseus. Through 10x50 binoculars the comet's head was small and looked like a fuzzy greenish star. A wispy tail reached two full moon diameters up and to the right (northwest). Later, when the comet was higher in the sky and seen through thinner, more transparent air, I could easily trace the tail a full 2 degrees or four moon diameters



This updated finder chart for the comet shows it moving from just below Alpha in Perseus toward the bright star Capella in Auriga. The chart shows the northeast sky around dawn or about 2:45-3 a.m. for the northern U.S. The best place to start is with the familiar W of Cassiopeia. Drop down from there to Alpha and then sweep your binoculars over the appropriate spot according to the date. Maps created with Stellarium



I couldn't wait to see what the 15-inch scope would show and, oh my god, it was incredible. A brilliant, green-blue head and a tail that stretched all the way across the field of view. The tail was so sharp and narrow it reminded me of a fresh airplane contrail. Breathtaking.



Even though McNaught remained basically in one spot during the time I viewed it, its form evoked the movement of a fireball streaking across the sky. You might think I had a bit of an unfair advantage with the telescope I used, and you'd be right, but I have no doubts that any telescope under good sky conditions will show both the head and tail of this comet. All of McNaught's major features were also visible in ordinary binoculars -- just fainter.


This wider view of Perseus (including Alpha) gives you a better idea how skinny


the comet's tail is and how stellar its head appears. Photo : Bob King



I must have looked at the comet 16 times between 1 and 3 a.m. and each time its marvelous, living form mesmerized. Deep inside the coma (head) a blazing fuzzy star -- the pseudo-nucleus -- marked the center of cometary activity. Another time I tried to follow the tail as far as possible both into the coma and out further to where it broadened and faded into the sky background. At dawn's start, when McNaught was highest in the sky, I glimpsed it on several occasions with the naked eye alone as a very faint, soft 'spot' below the star Alpha Persei.


A small display of northern lights started up around 2:30 this morning and glowed green under the star Capella. Details: 24mm lens at f/2.8, 35-second exposure at ISO 1600. Photo: Bob King




About this time a very "gentle" display of northern lights kicked in just above the north-northeastern horizon near the rising star Capella. A perfect way to end the night. Oh, but wait. While packing up my equipment, I remembered to check the tires. On the way out, the car was pulling to the left more than usual. A quick swing of the red flashlight on the left front tire revealed what I'd feared but forgotten in my comet-watching pleasures. It was completely flat.



With the aurora still simmering away and the very first white-throated sparrows tentatively beginning to sing, I changed the tire. It was probably the most at peace I've ever been while performing this activity.

Moon too low to see well last night? Tonight it'll be much easier. Look below the planet Venus during mid to late evening twilight tonight. Very nice pairing!

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/171335/group/homepage/

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images of the comet
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=comet+mcnaught&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=rOwWTNnFLIT6lweJyPGHDA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQsAQwAA

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The Shocking Size of Comet McNaught
http://www.physorg.com/news190400202.html

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A New Comet McNaught Brightens
Jun 8, 2010 Kelly Whitt

One of the brightest comets of the past decade was Comet McNaught, and now a new 2010 comet named Comet McNaught is brightening into naked eye visibility.



The previous Comet McNaught, (C/2006 P1), that made headlines around the world was discovered by Australian astronomer and comet hunter Robert McNaught of the Siding Spring Observatory, who also discovered the new comet that was named for him. The new Comet McNaught, (C/2009 R1), was discovered on September 9, 2009 (9/9/09). This comet is currently approaching the sun where it is brightening and is expected to become visible against dark skies without any optical aid.

The Path of Comet McNaught
http://news.suite101.com/article.cfm/a-new-comet-mcnaught-brightens-a246284

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NorthPoint
Astrology Journal
Your guide to astrological energies for June 14 to 20, 2010

Written by Pam Younghans

Photo: A new "Comet McNaught," on its first visit to the inner solar system, will be closest to Earth on June 15 and 16.

It seems appropriate that there's a new comet gracing our skies, given the fact that every day there seems to be a new energy shift to work with, and new physical manifestations to adjust to. The latest "Comet McNaught" -- officially known as C/2009 R1 -- was discovered in September 2009 by the astronomer who also discovered the very bright Comet McNaught (C2006 P1) that came nearest to Earth in 2007.

This week, the new Comet McNaught will be traveling closest to the Earth. It is visible with the naked eye just before dawn in the low northeastern sky.

Astrologically and symbolically, comets represent new information and new energy reaching our awareness. It is also said that babies born when a comet is visible come into this life with the intention also to be highly visible, and to make an important impact on the outcomes of worldly events.

It's interesting that when this comet was discovered back in September, Saturn -- the planet of "fate" -- was at 27 degrees of Virgo. Due to having gone through its retrograde phase, this week, when the Comet McNaught is closest to the Earth, Saturn is again at 27 degrees of Virgo. We can interpret this to mean that events now coming to fruition had their beginnings about nine months ago -- the typical human gestation period!

If you or someone you know is about to give birth to a new human life, it is easy to see the correspondence. But for the rest of us, we may need to look a little deeper to discover what was initiated in our awareness nine months ago, that is now ready to manifest more fully.

With the grand cross Lunar Eclipse less than two weeks away, we are already working with the energies of that event. We have a strong sense that band-aid solutions are no longer viable, that it is time to get to the source of the problems that draw our concern.

The energies are building, pushing us from many different directions to make necessary changes. We are finding that structures created out of fear, greed, defensiveness or arrogance are disintegrating under this powerful influence.

When one astrological influence is so immense, it can be harder to tap into what other, more subtle planetary effects are also at work. As I review the list of highlighted aspects for this week, what stands out most is the Saturn-Sun square next Saturday. On that day, the Sun will have its first interaction with one of the planets involved in the grand cross.

We can anticipate this to mean that by next weekend, we'll have even more information about how the grand cross will manifest in our physical reality.


www.northpointastrology.com for more information.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_McNaught