Comet watching

[Ianab]

Any one else been out to look at comet McNaught?

We went out last night, even got some pictures befoe the clouds moved in.

Ian

[Gumby]

Haven't heard about it here. Maybe we cant see it but it looks awsome.

better than the Non Event of the 20th Century...Halley's.

[craigb]

It was at its brightest in Sydney on Monday evening. I tried to have a look from my place but I couldn't see anything.

I think that I didn't have a clear enough view of the horizon.

From the pics I saw in the newspaper it looked pretty unspectacular.

[ozwinner]

If it wasnt cloudy we could see it here..

Al

[AlexS]

Does anyone remember the name of the comet that was around in the late 1960s or very early 1970s? It appeared about half the diameter of the moon, with a tail - much bigger than anything since, but there was hardly any interest in it.

[Ianab]

You should be able to see it, I've seen some pics of it taken from Aussie.

Look to the southwest just after sun sets, it about an outstretched hand span to the left and above where the sun sets.

It's fading now but should be visible for another week or so, especially as it will still be above the horizon during full darkness. I have seen some pics of it taken during full daylight, thats how bright it was a few days ago!!

Ian

[Ianab]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070118.html

A better shot of it, taken a couple of nights ago from Levin, NZ

It's fairly impressive, I saw the one that Alexs is thinking of, that was better than this one, but this is the best one since then.

Ian

[China]

Halley,s was only a non event to those who watched at the wrong time, my late brother and I took some great pics

[Gumby]

Halley,s was only a non event to those who watched at the wrong time, my late brother and I took some great pics

Bulltish. It was nothing but a smudge in the sky.

If you have a good pic, please post it.

[ozwinner]

I remember Halley's well as it was the year my dad died, and as Gumby said it was a non event.

Al

[craigb]

Halley,s was only a non event to those who watched at the wrong time, my late brother and I took some great pics

Trouble is that the right time was probably 1910 instead of 1986.

My memory says it was a fairly small smudge. Hardly bigger than a normal star.

Like Gumby says, post the great pics.

[oldbob13]

My wife's late grandmother saw Haley's Comet twice.
See remembered that the first time, obviously as a child, she ran screaming into the house at the sight of it. The second time we had to use binoculars just to see it. Yep last time was a fizzer.
BobT

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Bulltish. It was nothing but a smudge in the sky.

If you have a good pic, please post it.

We have some good pix of it around here somehere, too. Made with time lapse exposure and a motorised mount.

But as far as 'twas s'posed to be a grand ol' sight for the nekkid eyeball... Ptui! What a fizzler!

[Gumby]

My wife's late grandmother saw Haley's Comet twice.
See remembered that the first time, obviously as a child, she ran screaming into the house at the sight of it. The second time we had to use binoculars just to see it. Yep last time was a fizzer.
BobT

So did my grandmother, who i think was 12 at the time (she lived to be 99).

But you have to remember, the memories of a 12 year old get bigger over the years. I remember being at primary school on a day of total eclipse. We were told not to look at the sun and I was so scared, i went outside and covered my eyes thinking I'd go blind if i didn't. My memories of that day far exceed the reality.

It's the same with most stories. They get embellished with the telling.

[Honorary Bloke]

We were told not to look at the sun and I was so scared, i went outside and covered my eyes thinking I'd go blind if i didn't.

Odd that. I was told that something else would make me go blind.

There was a good feature on our telly last Sunday regarding how our memories change as we age. It seems that we alter them slightly again and again over time to fit what we want them to be. Ask two blokes who were at the same event 25 years after how they remember it and get two very different stories.