Don't miss Comet McNaught!!

[cyberlord]

This week only! Won't be back for 300,000 years! Check out Comet McNaught!

It is visible in the southwestern sky right after sunset. Viewing will be good throughout the week but by Saturday McNaught will set with the sun and not be visible anymore.

Check out my post in the nature forum.

Tim

[Speed]

This week only! Won't be back for 300,000 years! Check out Comet McNaught!

It is visible in the southwestern sky right after sunset. Viewing will be good throughout the week but by Saturday McNaught will set with the sun and not be visible anymore.

Check out my post in the nature forum.

Tim

You have the next two nights. I've been wanting to get out to look, but we've had miserable weather hear. It's clear (and COLD) today, so I have the tripod in the car. After work, I'm going to the beach and watching the sunset and looking for the comet.

http://skytonight.com/observing/home/5133461.html

[cyberlord]

Well it turns out the bright object I was tracking last night wasn't a comet (I wondered why I didn't see a tail) but the planet Venus. Venus is very bright right now due to it's location between the sun and earth.

I'll try again tonight to see if I can't see the comet itself. More clouds today though, hopefully they will clear by sunset.

Tim

[I_Fly]

Anyone get shots of this?

It was too cold to take my son and he insisted I play with him. It's hard to argue with a 2 year old! Maybe Thursday night I'll be able to attempt a shot or two.

I'd love to see some shots of it.

[mjs1973]

I did get a few shots last night, and will post later. I had a beautiful view of the comet on the way home from work. It was still light enough out that I didn't have to have my headlights on, and the sky had lots of blue and redish/orange in it from the setting sun. When I got home, I grabbed my wife, and drove her to the top of a hill so she could see it. Then I took her home, got my camera and headed out to get some picks. By this time, it was pretty dark, and the comet was a small orange dot on the horizon. Long shutterspeeds, windy conditions and being about a half hour too late, didn't make for good photos, but I'll post something later tonight. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that tonights sky is as clear as lastnights.

[Speed]

I went to the beach yesterday after work and found comet McNaught. It was COLD! About 40 degrees, wind was blowing, and if you've never experienced winter on the coast, you can't fully appreciate how the humidity will cut you to the bone.

I found the comet with my binoculars, then began taking photo's. I wish I could have been out there two or three days ago, but the weather wasn't cooperative. As it was, the comet was right in the haze layer when I first spotted it, and it only got worse as it sank toward the horizon. It was a wonderful sight in binoculars, and the tail was clearly visible. The photo's really don't do it justice.

First image has the comet over the ocean. The comet is slightly right of center. The second image is a crop of the comet itself. No post-processing, just resized for PR.

On a side note, I met another amateur astronmer who didn't even realize there was a comet visible. She was from Ohio, and she braved the cold so she could go back and tell all her fellow astronmers that she saw the comet.

[I_Fly]

Michael I'm looking forward to seeing what you captured. Don't know about your priorites though? Grabbed your wife then your camera?!?

Just kidding!!

[I_Fly]

Robert,

Those are some gorgeous colors!! I was suprised to see the ocean in your photos though. Isn't the comet supposed to be to the southwest? What part of the coast are you shooting from? What were your setting?

It's not looking good for me tonight. Supposed to be overcast skies with a good chance of rain. Dang and last night was clear with light winds. Oh well, at least I spent it with my boy getting some of that father/son time!

[Speed]

Robert,

Those are some gorgeous colors!! I was suprised to see the ocean in your photos though. Isn't the comet supposed to be to the southwest? What part of the coast are you shooting from? What were your setting?

It's not looking good for me tonight. Supposed to be overcast skies with a good chance of rain. Dang and last night was clear with light winds. Oh well, at least I spent it with my boy getting some of that father/son time!

Geography lesson: If you look at a national map, or an NC map, you will see that North Carolina juts out into the ocean. Where it juts out is where Carteret county is located. So, the ocean is to the SOUTH of us! It throws folks for a loop.

:-)

Settings: D200, 80-200mm f2.8 set at 200mm and f 5.6, ISO 100, WB set to sunny, Bogen tripod, Manfrotto Ballhead, self timer set to 2 seconds to ensure a clean release.

[mjs1973]

Ok, here is one of the not so great shots that I got of the comet last night. This is from a 30 second shutterspeed, @ 500mm in the wind. It was too cloudy to see anything tonight. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

[mjs1973]

Very nice shots Speed!! And thanks for the geography lesson. I too was wondering about how you were going to get a shot of the comet with the ocean from the east coast.

[Speed]

...is getting quite a show!

I do wish the weather had cooperated for us in the Northern Hemisphere!

http://skytonight.com/news/home/5231826.html

[mjs1973]

Thanks for the link Speed. Lots of nice pics there. I wish I would have taken advantage of that first day I saw it. The weather didn't cooperate the rest of the week for me...

[walterick]

Road trip to South America!

Shotgun!

[Speed]

OK, but I've got to get a passport!

"Shotgun!"

OK, you've called it first, so you've got it!

[Speed]

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here you go. The first link shows you where Carteret County is in relation to the rest of North Carolina.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ret_County.png

This one is a larger view. If you go straight up (north) from the "A" in atlantic ocean, where you meet land is where I shot the comet from.

http://www.visitnc.com/where_to_go_coast.asp

One more. I was standing on the shore in Atlantic Beach.

http://www.icw-net.com/maps/nc/nc-cc1.htm

As the maps clearly show, the ocean is to the south of most of the county. It really throws folks for a loop, since everyone KNOWS the ocean is to the east.

[I_Fly]

Ha! Thanks for the geography lesson. I guess I knew the coast doesn't just run North and South but hadn't thought through evertyhing to realize the implications. Hmm. Come to a photography forum website and learn something about geography too. Cool.

Someday we'll be out there to visit Kitty Hawk if nothing else. I'll be sure to arrange some time to get together with you guys!

[Speed]

Be sure you do! Do NOT let me find out you came to North Carolina and didn't let me know!!! I will arrange to meet you somewhere. BTW, Cartert County has a lighthouse too. I've got a boat and I can take you there. As a bonus, if you come to Carteret County, you have a place to stay. Free room and board can't be beat my friend.

:-D

[I_Fly]

No worries about me not contacting you! WHEN we make it there, you'll have plenty of advance warning. Collette and I both want to go to Kitty Hawk someday. We're doing our best to indoctrinate Gus into aviation as well. Did I tell you one of his girlfriends likes to wingwalk?

Is the lighthouse you're talking about the one in that fantastic print you're selling? That is one amazing shot my friend.

[Speed]

"...the one in that fantastic print you're selling? That is one amazing shot my friend."

Yes, that is the one! I now have 99 prints out the door. Next one hits triple digits. I ordered my first two prints of that shot on September 15th. Now I'm not setting any records, but 99 prints in fours months is great for a part timer. I'm thrilled with the volume of sales I've gotten. Plus I've sold about a dozen other prints as a result of that one. Folks went to my website and found other shots they liked. :-D

[Speed]

May still see the tail. Now that's a bright comet! According to astonomers, Comet McNaught is actually brighter than Comet Hale-Bopp. Being so close to the sun is what makes it look so dim.

Try your hand at photographing the tail after sunset.

http://skytonight.com/observing/home/5268431.html