It's happening...Comet P1 McNaught will be VISIBLE DAYLIGHT ON JANUARY 11-15 REACHING MAGNITUDE -5 AT LEAST!!!EXCEEDING VENUS MAGNITUDE!!!WHICH IS -4.5.READ THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INCOMING SCATTERING EVENT THAT WILL MAKE THE COMET'S PERIHELION 2.6 MAGNITUDE'S GAIN...THE RESULT IS THAT THIS MONSTER COULD REACH MAGNITUDE -7 ON JANUARY 14 2007!!!HOLD ON FOLKS!!!THE BIG ONE IS ON THE WAY!!!Observations of C/2006 P1 over the last week show that this comet is still brightening, currently following a formula close to Ho = 5.0 and n = 3, indicating that a magnitude of about -1 will be reached around the time of perihelion passage.Unfortunately, the elongation is only about 5-6 degrees then, but comet McNaught may still be visible for earth-based visual observers, because the geometry is favourable for a considerable brightness increase due to forward scattering of sunlight on very small dust particles in the coma.Dr. Joseph N. Marcus, former editor of Comet News Service, has studied the conditions for forward scattering in this particular case using a novel Henyey-Greenstein function forecast model, details of which will be published in an article which will appear in a future issue of the ICQ.His study shows that an increase in brightness of about 2.5 magnitudes can be expected at the time that the minimum scattering angle θ is reached on January 14.3. As a consequence it is well possible that this comet can be observed in broad daylight close to the sun for maybe 1 or 2 days. Probably binoculars or small telescopes will be needed, but naked eye visiblity may be possible under very good observing conditions (very clear transparant skies).Dr. Marcus has been so kind to send us an article describing in brief the procedure, and giving a brightness prediction for the week around perihelion passage.His conclusion. Towards the end of the month the elongation will have increased enough to make C/2006 P1 well visible in the evening sky for southern hemisphere observers. It may then still be as bright as magnitude 2-3.