Saturday, January 13, 2007

Join Darin Boville for Comet Viewing tonight on Montara Beach

posted by Barry Parr on Jan 13, 2007 at 06:40 pm in Community
3 comments • Click to email this story

To all Coastsiders and visitors:

It looks like it will be clear tonight (Saturday)--I’m planning on viewing the comet again in the paved parking lot above Montara State Beach (across from 3rd street).

If anyone hasn’t seen the comet yet feel free to stop by--I’ll have various scopes and binoculars to share--but feel free to bring your own binoculars, if you have them.

Come see the comet! (Weather permitting...)

Viewing should start right around 5:15 and will be over by 5:45.

Dress warm!

Hope to see you there,

--Darin

Comments

Comment 1 by Jonathan Lundell on Jan 14 at 12:31pm • All my comments •

We saw McNaught Saturday evening in the post-sunset hazy glare, down here at Lobitos Creek. It was a bright smudge with the naked eye, and the tail was distinctly visible with binoculars.

I'm trying to visualize the comet's geometry. How is it that it's visible both before sunrise and after sunset, and how does it manage to be visible only from the southern hemisphere after perihelion?

Comment 2 by Suzy Kristan on Jan 15 at 12:48am • All my comments •

Hmm I think you mean 2nd St across from the parking lot? We were there tonight (1/14) cold out, but a beautiful sight!

Comment 3 by Vince Williams on Jan 15 at 12:36pm • All my comments •

Jonathan,

Try this Java applet from NASA

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?sstr=C/2006+P1+&group=all&search=Search

NASA, Near Earth Object Program, Orbit Diagrams, Comet c/2006 P1 Click forward and back on the days.

The visibility of the comet depends on seeing it against a dark or darkened sky. In daylight the sun outshines it and washes out the sky. It's still there. It just moves from the dark northern sky, light southern sky to the dark southern sky, light northern sky, when it goes through perhellion.

When the comet is near the sun, like the inner planets at some points in their orbits, it's visible in the morning and evening.

Vince Williams Moss Beach

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Weather Forecast (beta)

Half Moon Bay Airport Weather: Sun 7 Sep 9:00pm

Tonight: Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. WSW wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Monday: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 62. SW wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Monday Night: Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 52. SW wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Tuesday: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 62. SW wind between 5 and 9 mph.

Tuesday Night: Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. SW wind around 8 mph.

Wednesday: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 64.

Wednesday Night: Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Thursday: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 65.

Thursday Night: Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Friday: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 65.

Friday Night: Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Saturday: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 67.

Saturday Night: Patchy fog after 11pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Sunday: Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

PFC: 3:03pm; AFD: 9:00pm

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2008-09-07 at 7:05 AM PDT: First Quarter

2008-09-07 at 10:40 AM PDT: 3.50 feet Low Tide

2008-09-07 at 2:46 PM PDT: Moonrise

2008-09-07 at 4:19 PM PDT: 4.97 feet High Tide

2008-09-07 at 7:29 PM PDT: Sunset

2008-09-07 at 11:55 PM PDT: Moonset

2008-09-08 at 12:07 AM PDT: 0.87 feet Low Tide

2008-09-08 at 6:46 AM PDT: Sunrise

2008-09-08 at 7:58 AM PDT: 3.82 feet High Tide

2008-09-08 at 12:05 PM PDT: 3.55 feet Low Tide

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Join Darin Boville for Comet Viewing tonight on Montara Beach

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