COMET!!

[leelastarsky]

OMG!  I finally got to see McNaught's comet tonight!  It was awesome!  I thought we'd missed it thanks to all the cloud and smoke cover we've had lately, but tonight we had a beautifully clear night.  Absolutely cloudless.  *joy!*  And thanks to my dear friend, Cindy in Canberra, who alerted me that it was up and visible in the South-West, I checked the local sky, squeeeeeeeeeeed madly and got the whole family out for a look.

This is the first comet I've ever seen (well, there was Haley's back in '86 but that was barely visible) so I stood out the front for a good hour (I think) ringing family and friends getting them out to look at it before it set.   Saw a rather spectacular 'shooting star' while I was out there too.  I could see it burning.  *boggles*  Of course it was over in a flash, but it must have been awfully close for me to be able to see it red and burning!

The comet's tail was faaaaaaaaabulous!

Comments

[scribblecat.livejournal.com]

What time Kate? Ill have a look tonight. Whee!

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I started going out every 10minutes from 8.30pm. Of course, as it got darker the comet got clearer. But it also gets lower on the horizon. It depends on the sort of view you have. My friend in Bayswater is surrounded by trees and her view was impeded by the trees somewhat, and it set very quickly for her. I got to stand on the mulched up stump of one of my pine trees in our front yard and had a terrific view. :~)