Comet McNaught: The Biggest Comet Discovered
Posted Thu, Apr 15, 2010 by John R. Loomis
As of today, renowned astronomers and space scientists, officially declare that Comet McNaught is the biggest comet discovered and recorded in the history of the space age and the exploration of the final frontier. Dubbed as the Great Comet of 2007 by the general public but known as “Comet C/2006 P1 McNaught” in the scientific community, the comet’s size is calculated not only by the length of its tail but also by its overall effect in the atmosphere in space or the cosmic wake and disturbance it leaves as it blazes on through space.
This comet was first discovered by Robert H. McNaught in August 2006 and in the first two months of 2007, it was officially recorded as the brightest comet visible from Earth for the past four decades. By sheer chance and pure luck, the Ulysses Spacecraft passed close by the tail of Comet McNaught and it came by close enough to gather valuable data to analyze and estimate the approximate size of this huge fireball in space. The Ulysses, whose voyage ended in 2009, also recorded Comet Hyakutake with longest measured tail of all time.
But so far, relying on the data gathered by the spacecraft and the close scrutiny and analysis of the scientists and astronomers, they conclude that the Comet McNaught is far bigger then Comet Hyakutake or any other known comet including the one discovered by Dr. Haley. Dr. Geraint Jones of University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory further stressed that Comet McNaught’s nucleus is approximately below 15 miles and its gas production is significantly higher than any other comet discovered, signifying that it is indeed the most massive of all moving fireballs in space.
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