BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Comet McNaught

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Thursday, 11 January 2007, 12:03 GMT

In pictures: Comet McNaught

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Comet McNaught is lighting up the sky around dawn and dusk. This image was captured over Edinburgh by Philippe Gautier.

Comet

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This was the view that Simon Banton had in Figheldean, Wiltshire, of the brightest comet in 30 years.

Comet

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Mark Edwards in Coventry asked why we didn't have comet pictures on the site - thanks for the reminder, and the image.

Comet

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Comet McNaught was discovered last year by Australian Robert McNaught. This was John Owen's view from Aberdeen an hour after sunset.

Comet

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Comet McNaught is passing close to the Sun. Solar radiation pressure and heat take material off the comet, giving it a big and visible 'debris field', seen in Leeds by Paul Willows.

Comet

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Dan Escreet in Aldbrough, Yorkshire, captured this image. The comet will be seen better in the coming days from the southern hemisphere.

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Related to this story:
Comets hold life chemistry clues (15 Dec 06 | Science/Nature )
Comet break-up puts on sky show (11 May 06 | Science/Nature )
Impactor ejects mighty water mass (04 Apr 06 | Science/Nature )
Comets 'are born of fire and ice' (14 Mar 06 | Science/Nature )

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