01-19-2007, 06:54 PM
Last night at sunset, motorists in South Africa pulled over to watch what seemed to be a bush fire. As the twilight deepened, however, they realized it was something else: the extravagant tail of Comet McNaught. Even experienced astronomers say they've never seen anything quite like it. McNaught's tail materializes at sunset in the southern hemisphere and is visible to the unaided eye as a majestic fan of pale streamers.
The comet itself is visible only from the southern hemisphere, but its tail sweeps all the way back into northern skies. People in California, Colorado and Hawaii have seen it peeking above the western horizon about an hour after sunset. This "northern tail" is faint but pretty, and resembles a pale aurora borealis. (Dark skies are absolutely required.)
Visit [url "http://spaceweather.com/"]http://spaceweather.com[/url] for photos and observing tips.
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The comet itself is visible only from the southern hemisphere, but its tail sweeps all the way back into northern skies. People in California, Colorado and Hawaii have seen it peeking above the western horizon about an hour after sunset. This "northern tail" is faint but pretty, and resembles a pale aurora borealis. (Dark skies are absolutely required.)
Visit [url "http://spaceweather.com/"]http://spaceweather.com[/url] for photos and observing tips.
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