Comet McNaught could be HISTORIC

January 8, 2007 2:47 PM

NOW SHOWING: Nekkid-eye Comet McNaught (via MonkeyFilter)
posted by spock (16 comments total)

Now that's just lazy.
posted by found missing at 2:58 PM on January 8, 2007

via?
posted by monju_bosatsu at 2:59 PM on January 8, 2007

Guilty as charged. Didn't think I could do it better, frankly.
posted by spock at 3:00 PM on January 8, 2007

Oh, goody, a "surprise" comet.

[nervous smile]
posted by CynicalKnight at 3:16 PM on January 8, 2007

Because this isn't as big as many of the others of the past decade, I'll only be serving a cheap Wal-Mart Kool-Aid.
posted by hal9k at 3:41 PM on January 8, 2007

Michael Jäger and Gerald Rhemann obtained this image of comet McNaught on 2007 January 5.3. (...) R. H. McNaught (...) discovered this comet (...) on 2006 August 7.51.

What ".3" and ".51" mean?
posted by bru at 6:02 PM on January 8, 2007

I would comment, but don't think I can do better, frankly.
posted by bowline at 7:28 PM on January 8, 2007

Man.... remember you could see comets with the nekkid eye all the time, Hale-Bopp and stuff......?

This could be kewl.
posted by Doohickie at 8:33 PM on January 8, 2007

historic indeed. according to this page, this is C/2006 P1 (McNaught)'s first and last visit to the inner solar system.
posted by the painkiller at 9:08 PM on January 8, 2007

...and here's what the always excellent APOD has to say abouy McNaught.
posted by the painkiller at 9:12 PM on January 8, 2007

And this on the same day 60 birds fall out of the sky in Austin? And the smell of sulfur suffuses through Manhattan?

Backwoods, learn bowhunting, etc . . .
posted by thecaddy at 10:20 PM on January 8, 2007

Schweet! Where I'm at we have a clear view of the WSW horizon, and some of the best stargazing skies around. This is gonna be a fun month.
posted by azpenguin at 10:52 PM on January 8, 2007

Oh, goodie, more cause for '70s nostalgia....
posted by pax digita at 7:08 AM on January 9, 2007

Hey, I'm glad this post is here. I probably would have missed it otherwise. And may the Force Be With You, Spock. You Little Rascal, you.
posted by malaprohibita at 8:29 AM on January 9, 2007

Michael Jäger and Gerald Rhemann obtained this image of comet McNaught on 2007 January 5.3. (...) R. H. McNaught (...) discovered this comet (...) on 2006 August 7.51.

What ".3" and ".51" mean?

Just decimal days.
posted by flug at 2:23 PM on January 9, 2007

After disappointing showings from Halley's and Hale-Bopp, and not having taken any notice of the astronomy news for a year or so, it didn't immediately occur to me that the thing I was seeing in the sky this evening was actually a comet. I was thinking "hey, that bushfire helicopter's got a bright searchlight... wait a second - does that beam look curved to you?"

Truly spectacular, and easy to see how folks with no space knowledge could come to think of something like that as a Portent of Doom!
posted by flabdablet at 6:49 AM on January 22, 2007