Comments on: Comet Holmes: WOW

By: zooped.org » Blog Archive » Comet 17/P Holmes

zooped.org » Blog Archive » Comet 17/P Holmes — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 22:13:38 +0000

[...] at 0800 UT on October 30, 2007 at Costa Mesa, California – via Wikipedia.Now, the net has been full of reports about comet Holmes these last days. However, I hadn’t really taken note of it – but [...]

By: Icecreammaker

Icecreammaker — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:15:46 +0000

most excellent photos, let me just say to everybody i thank you i’m still new in useing my telescope all your photos had a big help . I have a Mead 2090 with auto star computer, i was able to see it fairly well with a 20 mm lensetried to take photos holding my digital cam to the lense ended up dropping my camrea and breaking it, OOOOPSY but once again thanks to all excellent job !!!!!

By: thomas

thomas — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 06:24:23 +0000

I have posted a bunch of time-lapse videos of the comet, i will be adding more over the next few days and weeks as long as its still visible

http://www.revver.com/playlist/show/291594/

its really bright now and if you use a 200mm lens its really pretty big in the frame.

By: Hanno

Hanno — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:09:37 +0000

Stupid Southern Hemisphere!!!

By: Kurt

Kurt — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:55:36 +0000

APOD has it featured today:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071026.html

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:31:12 +0000

I saw reports of the sudden brightening early last evening so I went out with binoculars around 9:00 PM. I almost couldn’t figure out where Perseus was under the bright full moon, as I didn’t recognize the star pattern. Then I put binoculars on the area – HOLY COW, that one “star” IS the comet! The comet was the leftmost star in a backwards “L” between Mirfak and Delta Persei. The “star” pattern was confusing me and I didn’t recognize the constellation! The comet was EASILY naked-eye visible, even under a moon so bright I could read by it.

I ran in to get my 8″ Celestron SCT, and I couldn’t believe how large this was under only 77 power! Very bright, with a noticeably brighter central core, and a tiny “pinprick” of very bright light offset slightly to one sice in the central core. It took me a while to get the scope in good focus, I had to focus on a different star in the vicinity and then move back. An incredible sight!

To my eyes, the comet was not as bright as Mirfak but was most definitely brighter than Delta Persei. We’re going to be clouded out for a couple of days, but I hope it stays bright for a while so I can show others.

By: Kevin Conod

Kevin Conod — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:09:15 +0000

Very nice!! Reminds me of a planetary nebula – or an egg served sunny side up!

By: Chuck Wilcox

Chuck Wilcox — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 02:34:23 +0000

Saw it from Boston (abysmal light pollution made worse by my 1.5km proximity to Fenway Park) , with my 8″ dob. estimate mag. 2.4, a little fainter than Mirfak (above) and clearly much brighter than Delta Persei (to right). Surprisingly sharp edge on halo, c.3 arcmin in diameter, slight asymmetry around central fuzzy point

Remember that a lunar eclipse accompanied the Red Sox winning the World Series in ’04. Another good omen for Red Sox Nation ?!

By: Mark A. Siefert

Mark A. Siefert — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:49:33 +0000

EUREKA! I took a little doing, but I found it.

A large fuzzy blob with a bright center. No tail. Too big to be a star. I used an Orion 6 inch Dob with a f/8 focal ratio. I actually found that the view was better using than 25mm eyepiece than I did with my 10mm. (I need to get some more eyepieces.)

By: JackC

JackC — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:43:13 +0000

I got it – and I have some halfway decent photos too. Never thought I would catch it (esp. after a nice double martini) – but I managed to snag it with all three instruments – the binocs, the 4″ dob and the Canon 20D with the long lens. If there aren’t any better shots, I will try to post one or two.

By: ET Prophet

ET Prophet — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:19:55 +0000

Comets (2) in End Times (3) were explained before by End Times Prophet. Also the “comets” without tail.

Notes
(1) New Scientist announcing the one million factor, the number is a hoax.
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn12837-comet-brightens-mysteriously-by-a-factor-of-a-million.html
But it still is TOTALLY unprecedented.
(2) 2006
http://www.goldismoney.info/forums/t36398-broken-comet-73pschwassmanwachmann-by-prophet-who-explained-comet-bradfield-in-2004.html
2004 – Comet Bradfield – start here: Toutatis hoax – how and why
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1230167/posts

(3) http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22We+are+at+the+***+very+last+***+chapter+of+the+Bible%22

By: John Kingman

John Kingman — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:39:41 +0000

Phil said “My back is killing me, or else Iâ€™d have the â€™scope on this in a hot second.”

Well I was just at the Austin Maker Faire last weekend and Slooh had a show special which is still available: Regular $99 for 1 year of the unlimited membership is available as 2 years for $99 via this “secret” link …

https://www.slooh.com/mf_signup.php

The email I received said that this would be available for a limited time, but to feel free to tell other people about the secret deal.

This might also appeal to people who cannot otherwise get to a telescope.

BTW, I have no connection with Slooh and am not a member (yet).

By: nightShifted - amateur astronomy, space, and everything under the stars » Blog Archive » Comet 17P/Holmes Explodes!

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:45:49 +0000

[...] Bad Astronomy http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2007/10/24/comet-holmes-wow/ [...]

By: First Watson, Now Holmes - Asymptotia

First Watson, Now Holmes - Asymptotia — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:21:01 +0000

[...] I learned all this on Bad Astronomy, and Phil has David Morrison’s NEO news piece of today in full (here), as well as further links to information sources and another post on locating the object here, and some of his pictures here. [...]

By: Mark A. Siefert

Mark A. Siefert — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:20:05 +0000

I heard about this last night in the JREF IRC and I ran out with my 6″ Dob to try to find this coment. Sadly, the moon was so blanking bright that you could read by the thing! I couldn’t see squat, and i live in a rural area.

I’ll try again tonight.

By: bÃ¸nez_brigade

bÃ¸nez_brigade — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:46:06 +0000

Don’t forget about Comet Loneos (C/2007 F1 LONEOS), which will reach perihelion on Sunday, Oct. 28th. Heavens-above currently shows it @ 5.5, located between Bootes & Libra. It should be visible shortly after sunset for Northern Hemisphereans.
We’re currently rained out in the Deep South, but it appears that the gods will stop urinating this weekend.

By: SF Reader

SF Reader — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:03:36 +0000

No meteors from this one, the perihelion is outside the Earth’s orbit, greater than 2AU, so says the background info linked in the previous item.

By: aiabx

aiabx — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:01:19 +0000

Took a look at it through an 8″ SCT, I saw an arrowhead shaped nucleus surrounded by a bright, mottled coma. Absolutely awesome! Too bad for the southern hemisphere guys, but they did get a much better look at MacNaught than we did.
If it lasts until Halloween, I will set up my scope on the sidewalk and show the kids.

By: Ken B

Ken B — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:59:57 +0000

BA:

> Yeah, it does look planet-like. Itâ€™s weird.

It’s the Death Star coming for us! The sudden increase in brightness was due to them turning on the running lights once they dropped out of hyperdrive.

Tonight’s forecast: rain and cloudy.
Tomorrow night’s forecast: rain and 100% cloud coverage.
Saturday night: rain and cloudy.
Sunday/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday: partly cloudy.

Well, at least I got to see Hyukatake when it came through.

By: antaresrichard

antaresrichard — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:54:24 +0000

With the yellowing moon setting to the west, the faint traces of dawn beginning to lighten the sky, and the traffic helicopters noisily whirring to and fro and all about (I live close to the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge) I was still able to spot Comet 17/P Holmes within minutes of my reading about it on your blog. Thank you Phil for passing along the information.

By: Chas

Chas — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:23:29 +0000

Hey, Jeff Sonas:
The effect you mention on the ISS may be caused by sunlight passing through layers of clouds on the limb of the Earth, just like the sunbeams one sometimes sees at sunset from the surface, only extendint out into NEO space.

By: J. D. Mack

J. D. Mack — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:48:12 +0000

Yep, that drought we’ve been having here in Maryland has finally broke. Yep, it’s been raining like crazy. Still raining today. Yep, plenty o’ clouds in the sky. Yep, yep, yep.

J. D.

By: Evolving Squid

Evolving Squid — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:46:52 +0000

If the comet broke up a bit, would that increase the chance of a late-october meteor shower in the future?

By: Martin Moran

Martin Moran — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:30:28 +0000

I have also just read that the Moon will be at the closest point in its orbit tonight, but we have cloudy skies forcast, dam!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:41:47 +0000

It was a snack for the eyes. I think I stayed outside about an hour if not more just staring at this thing. It’s awesome.

Looks so much like a star to the naked eye. What a peculiar little thing!