Sky Roundup
January 10, 2007

Comet McNaught

Look!  Up in the sky!  It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s…

A comet!  The evening skies over Cleveland are graced with the presence of a bright comet, the first in a long while to excite astronomers and the public alike. Comet McNaught, named for its Australian discoverer, astronomer Robert McNaught, is now visible close to the horizon just after sunset toward the west-southwest. 

Discovered last year at the fringe of the Solar System, the comet now is rapidly plunging toward the Sun and should be a spectacular treat to view for the next several evenings. No special equipment is needed, since the comet can be seen with the eyes alone. A clear sky and an unobstructed view of the horizon are best, though a binocular will provide a better view of this visitor from deep space.

The vintage, rooftop Mueller Observatory at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History may provide a suitable venue to view the comet. Visitors to the Museum at sunset should check to see if the weather permits the observatory to open and view the comet.

Those who own digital or photographic cameras should be able to capture this rare site, as astronomers have identified only a handful of comets in recent decades that have appeared as bright as Comet McNaught does today. At its predicted brightest, the comet may outshine the brilliant planet Venus. For early risers, the comet is also visible just before sunrise toward the east-southeast.