Although Friday is the last good chance for folks in the northern hemisphere to catch Comet McNaught, the reports are streaming in and the comet is clearly a hit! Some observers have called the naked-eye dirty snowball the grandest they've ever seen. Others merely rank it as the best comet since Hale-Bopp peaked in 1997.

Needless to say, your images back up those claims. Check out our McNaught photo gallery. We've posted more than three dozen of your pictures have already — and we are anxious to see more. Be sure to submit your photos now.

On Friday the comet reaches perihelion. After that, Comet McNaught will become a target for observers in the Southern Hemisphere (stay tuned for our forthcoming article). Anyone living Down Under is truly in for a treat!