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Twilight will be a bit more magical this week with the appearance of one of the brightest comets seen over New Zealand in years.
After dazzling astronomy buffs in the Northern Hemisphere last week, Comet McNaught is doing the same for their counterparts south of the equator.
Visible
even with the naked eye during the daytime, McNaught is already generating a buzz among local enthusiasts, who went comet-spotting on Sunday.
Stardome Observatory astronomer Grant Christie said it was estimated to be the second brightest comet since records began in 1935. The brightest was Comet West in 1975.
"People have seen it in daylight so far, which is quite remarkable."
Dr Christie said the comet, named after Australian astronomer Robert McNaught who found it last year, is roughly as bright as the planet Venus - normally the brightest object in the night sky.
It would probably be visible with the naked eye for at least another week, he said.
"If it's not going to split in half, then it will continue to fade. It's been at its brightest and it will just gradually fade, although we'll probably be able to see it better over the next few days because it's getting further away from the sun in the sky, and it will be present a bit longer above the horizon after the sun has set."
But he says people should exercise caution. "At the moment it's quite close to the sun, and the big danger is people getting out there with binoculars and accidentally catching the sun in their binoculars. That would very severely damage their eyesight.
"What I urge people to do is that if you're going to use binoculars, at least wait until the sun has actually dipped below the horizon."
The best time to go comet-spotting is after the sun has set.
"But you can't go out there at 10 or 11 at night and expect to see it. You have to basically be watching as the sun is setting."
Stardome astronomer and educator Jennie McCormick said the comet was easily spotted - if people knew where to look.
"It's at about 5 o'clock east of the sun."
The comet would be seen higher and higher in the southwestern skies over the next week as the sun sets, Ms McCormick said.
The buzz among astronomy buffs is palpable. "Everyone's trying to find it because it's been so bright. It's really hard to see comets normally."
Comet spotting
* Aim for a spot at twilight with a good view of the southwestern horizon. The ocean would be ideal.
* Astronomy buffs had about 10 minutes to view the comet after the sun set on Sunday, but that period will get longer as the comet moves further away from the sun.
* Do not use binoculars, as the comet's position close to the sun could mean severe eye damage if people accidentally catch the sun in their binoculars.
