What is the best thing you have seen in the night sky

[peter]

When I was 12 we lived in northern Sydney , This comet arrived and no one knew it was coming, on the news they had experts discussing the object and told the public when and where to look . I go up at 2.30 am for 4 nights in a row to see this thing with my parents. It was as big and as bright as the full moon with a great spiral tail , the 4th night I got up it was gone ,nowhere to be seen .
This would have been in 1970, I can still remember it like it was yesterday.
I wonder if anyone else had seen something like this or is old enough to have seen the same object

[lake]

Hello peter : )

Sounds like Comet Bennett mate ....

Comet Bennett, formally known as C/1969 Y1 (old style 1970 II and 1969i), was one of two brilliant comets to grace earth in the 1970s, along with Comet West. The name is also borne by an altogether different comet, C/1974 V2. Discovered by John Caister Bennett on December 28, 1969 while still almost two AUs from the Sun, it reached perihelion on March 20, passing closest to Earth on March 26, 1970 as it receded, peaking at magnitude 0.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Bennett



This page has a few more in the 70's seen from Aus ....

http://www.phys.ttu.edu/~ozprof/c1970.htm

He even says about the comet ....

The other memory is of waking up at 2.30am on March 23, to observe the comet,

[peter]

I'm not sure which one it was but I do remember it came out of the east at about 35 deg above the horizon with a massive spiral tail that swept up and to the right at about 2 o'clock. I know it was from the east because that was the direction my parent's house at the time faced , you walked out on the front verandah and there it was ,
In comparison we drove out west to my wife's friends farm to get a good look at the much lauded return of Haley's comet, what a disappointment !

[Liberalis]

I think the best thing i have seen in the night sky is Halley's Comet in 1987. I was only young but i remember it vividly and we had a great view of it.

You can't beat looking at the moon through a telescope, it never fails to impress!

I have also seen some really impressive shooting stars as well and a few high strangeness events which stand out and make you question what the hell they are.