Comet 17p/holmes

[Waveform]

I'll just pop in here and give a heads up to anyone interested in comet observation because I know there are few of you.

Comet 17P/Holmes has in the last 24 hours went from magnitude¹ 17 to 2.8. This is a exponential increase in brightness. It should be naked eye visible now.
I can not give a description because I have not seen it (waiting for clear weather). It is close to the constellation Perseus which is in the North East sky at this time.

There is no tail visible, but one never knows what these things will do, they are quite unpredictable.
It could dim back down to magnitude 17 or perhaps brighten more (fingers crossed).


¹magnitude is the apparent brightness of a celestial object. The higher the number the dimmer the object.
As an example, the magnitudes of some common objects;
Sun = -26.73
Full moon = -12.6
Venus at brightest phase = -4.7
Brightest star in sky (Sirus) =-1.47
Faintest stars visible to the naked eye = 6.0
Maximum brightness of Pluto = 13.65


------

Ron

[aslkahuna]

It remained at mag 2-5-3.0 last night through midnight. It was about 4 degress poleward of Delta Persei. In naked eye appearance it appears more like a nova than a comet. In Binoculars, it's slightly fuzzy and yellowish in color.

Steve

[Waveform]

QUOTE (aslkahuna @ Oct 25 2007, 11:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It remained at mag 2-5-3.0 last night through midnight. It was about 4 degress poleward of Delta Persei. In naked eye appearance it appears more like a nova than a comet. In Binoculars, it's slightly fuzzy and yellowish in color.

Steve[/b]

It's looking good Steve.

I can imagine the display it would be putting if we were not observing under a full perigee moon.

I am sort of hoping it will remain bright over the next few week until we have some darker skies.

Nucleus is showing up well.
I also probably has a nice tail if only we or it were viewing from a different angle. Oh well, can't win em all.

Anyway here is an image I captured a couple of hours ago.




Take with a 10 inch reflector.
Meade CCD deep sky imager.

[beechsundowner]

QUOTE (Waveform @ Oct 25 2007, 09:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Anyway here is an image I captured a couple of hours ago.

Take with a 10 inch reflector.
Meade CCD deep sky imager.[/b]

Nice, but is it slightly overexposed? I thought it was to have a greenish hue to it?

http://www.spaceweather.com/ is where I read this info.

Allen

[Waveform]

QUOTE (Beechsundower @ Oct 26 2007, 03:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice, but is it slightly overexposed? I thought it was to have a greenish hue to it?

http://www.spaceweather.com/ is where I read this info.

Allen[/b]

No, not overexposed.

It's a nebulous object and has no really sharp defining edges. If I change the exposure time on the CCD I would end up with the same thing only dimmer.

The inner bright area the nucleus of the comet. The outer haze is the halo or gas and dust cloud.

Yes evidently it had a greenish hue to it yesterday. Tonight it seem to be more to the redish browinsh.
I used the black and white CCD imager. I tried the color imager but it did not seem to work as good.
Not sure but I thought the brightness of the moon may have caused the problem.

If it stays bright over the next week I can probably get a good color capture.

If I can get a good one I will post it.

[beechsundowner]

QUOTE (Waveform @ Oct 25 2007, 10:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, not overexposed.


If I can get a good one I will post it.[/b]

Thanks for the explanation! Look forward to seeing future posts!

Allen

[Tyler]

what about loneos? what is the brightness at now? I was just out in Blair, NE last night, looking for it, couldnt find it though, left my binoculars at home by accident, I got a pretty good picture of the moon, but I was looking for loneos.

so is comet holmes supposed to be brighter than loneos now? thanks for the update Ron!!

[Tyler]

Well is ome of you want to find it tonight in the sky this piture might help you....

http://www.pbase.com/missouri_skies/image/87822267

also Here is the picture I took of the moon in blair last night...



By TylerBurg

[beechsundowner]

QUOTE (Tyler @ Oct 26 2007, 01:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well is ome of you want to find it tonight in the sky this piture might help you....[/b]

Great pics, loved the full moon!

[Waveform]

QUOTE (Tyler @ Oct 26 2007, 06:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

what about loneos? what is the brightness at now? I was just out in Blair, NE last night, looking for it, couldnt find it though, left my binoculars at home by accident, I got a pretty good picture of the moon, but I was looking for loneos.

so is comet holmes supposed to be brighter than loneos now? thanks for the update Ron!![/b]

Hi Tyler,

Loneos is still there but it is very low on the Western horizon and it's brightness is about magnitude 6.5 making it rough for naked eye but no problem in binoculars.
You will have to try for it just after sunset very low in the West.

Holmes is substantially brighter than Loneos and place much better in the sky. It is the the North of Perseus (actually the star Mirfak , alpha Perseus). Even with the full moon it is naked eye visible.
Very easy subject in binoculars or telescope.
The weird thing about Holmes this is the magnitude and speed which it brightened. It moved from Magnitude 17 to about 2.5 in 24 hours.

Yes, very nice capture of the perigee full moon.

LOL, Werewolves must be active these nights.