This observation was at a slightly later time (1720UT) to that of Richard's,
just
a few tens of kilometers to the East.

C/2006P1 (McNaught)
2007 Jan. 6.72 m1~0.5, Dia=1', DC=8 ...20cm SCT (68x)...Stephen McCann
(Southampton, England)

Conditions were not so ideal, as for Richard, as the elevation was only
about 2 degrees, so that the coma appeared stellar without any tail
through the SCT. Incidently could not see P1 using 16x50B.

Glad to have seen this one before it left our northern skies.

Stephen McCann

-----Original Message-----
From: comets-ml@yahoogroups.com on behalf of RICHARD MILES
Sent: Sat 06/01/2007 20:23
To: comets-ml@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [comets-ml] Has C/2006 P1 (McNaught) entered negative magnitude
territory?

John Bortle's comments (below) are borne out as seen visually at 1702UT this
evening (Jan 6th):

C/2006P1 (McNaught)
2007 Jan. 6.71 m1=0.0, Dia=2.0', DC=8, Tail=25' in PA
035deg...11x80B...Richard Miles (Dorset, England)

The coma is a further magnitude brighter compared with 24 hours ago and may
very well already have attained a negative magnitude. The tail had more of
a hollow fan-like appearance bright along the two outer edges than previous.
The coma is now visible through even substantial cloud and when clear the
comet can just be seen with the naked eye at the start of civil twilight
(Sun at -6 deg altitude).

The comet has generally been 4 magnitudes brighter than the m1 ephemeris
prediction of the MPC for a few weeks now, whereas that difference may have
now increased to about 5.0 magnitudes.

Richard Miles
Golden Hill Observatory

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