***Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught)***

Jan. 8.66, -1.0*, -- (B. H. Granslo, Nyland, Oslo, Norway, 7x50
binoculars; 3-deg tail; alt 3.9 deg; nautical twilight);

IIIYYYYMnL YYYY MM DD.DD eM/mm.m:r AAA.ATF/xxxx /dd.ddnDC /t.ttmANG ICQ XX*OBSxx
2006P1 2007 01 08.66 !B -1.0 YG 0.7E 1 9 3 ICQ XX
GRA04
2006P1 2007 01 08.66 !B -0.9 YG 5.0B 7 1.5 8/ 3.0 355 ICQ XX
GRA04

*** Remarks ***
Jan. 8.66: With naked eye, the comet was very easily seen from 15h40m
(solar altitude -7.2 deg) and until it set 35 minutes later (at true
altitude 1.2 deg), it showed an apparently stellar coma and an easily
seen tail; its brightness was comparable to a magnitude +1 star under
a dark sky and clearly superiour to Mercury during its most favourable
maximum elongations; the m1 magnitude was estimated as 0.6 mag fainter
than Vega and 0.4 mag brighter than Altair. With 7x50 binoculars, the
comet was distinctly golden yellow in colour; and showed a nearly
stellar central condensation and a tail that was moderately broad and
slightly curved clockwise; the tail was bright for the first degree
and its edges was notably brighter than the region in the middle; the
m1 estimate was 0.3 mag brighter than Altair and 0.7 mag fainter than
Vega. The formal magnitude estimates were made at 15h51m at altitude
3.9 deg and solar altitude -8.3 deg; the deduced magnitudes have been
corrected for extinction by using a coefficient of 0.15 mag per
airmass (the sky was very transparent). This observation was made
from my work location. [GRA04]

*** Observer ***
GRA04 = Bjorn H. Granslo.