Watch Comet McNaught

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http://www.space.com/spacewatch/soho_lasco_c3_live.html


This is an animation of the most recent images from the SOHO spacecraft's LASCO C3 camera.

Expect it to load slowly.

Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) will be visible from Friday, Jan. 12 to Monday, Jan. 15. The first SOHO images of the comet can be seen in our Comet McNaught Viewer's Guide.

This real-time movie, which shows the most recent 48 hours of solar activity, is updated every hour if satellite communications permit. The image is generated by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft.

Other animation sizes and formats are avaible at the SOHO site.

Instruments on SOHO makes images like this one by blocking the light coming directly from the Sun with an occulter disk, creating an artificial eclipse within the instrument itself.

SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.

 

[DrPizza]

Cool! I was outside the other night, thinking to myself, "that looks like a comet" but had forgotten to check up on it when I came inside.

 

[monk3y]

It was pretty cloudy last night... Looks like it might be the same tonight 🙁

 

[Kalvin00]

seems like every night some clouds have to come by

although its visible in daylight now

 

[monk3y]

Originally posted by: Kalvin00
seems like every night some clouds have to come by

although its visible in daylight now

Wait, the comet is visible during the day?

 

[Kalvin00]

Originally posted by: monk3y

Originally posted by: Kalvin00
seems like every night some clouds have to come by

although its visible in daylight now

Wait, the comet is visible during the day?

Yes. It's best around noon. Use a building or something to block the sun's direct rays, and hold your fist at arm's length. It will be about the width of your fist (5 degrees) to the left (east).