OT: Comet Holmes is visible

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Spacehead

Lifer
Jun 2, 2002
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Where do i need to look?

As it's been very cloudy the last week or so, last night was the first time i had a chance to see this. It was very easy to see with the naked eye & that was without taking the time for my eyes to adjust to the dark & a fairly bright moon. So it should be an easy target even in the city, i would think.

It looked like a star to me till i looked with my binoculars. But like i said, my eyes weren't dark adapted yet.

Check it out if you can.

Space Weather News for Oct. 29, 2007
http://spaceweather.com

Last week, Comet 17P/Holmes shocked sky watchers around the world with a sudden million-fold increase in brightness. It literally exploded into view, rapidly becoming a naked eye "star" in the constellation Perseus. Since then the comet has expanded dramatically. It is now physically larger than the planet Jupiter and subtends an angle in the night sky similar to the Moon's Sea of Tranquility, the right eye of the "Man in the Moon." Photographers, this amazing comet is an excellent target for off-the-shelf digital cameras and backyard telescopes. It grows visibly from night to night and no one knows how large it will become. Stay tuned to http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and the latest images
Click to expand...


Couple of APOD pics:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071029.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071030.html


edit 11/03:
Comet Holmes location for the next several months
Another APOD pic


edit 11/05:
Comet Holmes finally gets some tail :D

edit 11/10
Cosmic calamari?

edit 11/13
Holmes inner comma

edit 11/21
Yet another killer APOD pic of Holmes

Holmes photo gallery at Spaceweather


edit 11/28
Hubble peers into Holmes interior
 
Assimilator1

Assimilator1

Elite Member
Nov 4, 1999
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Thanks SH :)

Do you know if I'll be able to see it over here? (weather excluded:p)
Those star maps mean nothing to me ,can never find most of them :p ,except The Plough (big dipper to you folks).
 
S

Spacehead

Lifer
Jun 2, 2002
13,067
9,858
136
Originally posted by: Assimilator1
Thanks SH :)

Do you know if I'll be able to see it over here? (weather excluded:p)
Those star maps mean nothing to me ,can never find most of them :p ,except The Plough (big dipper to you folks).
Click to expand...

Yes, you can see it anytime after dark now. The earlier you look though, it will be lower in the sky. You want to look to the NorthEast after dark. The Plough(Big Dipper) will be low in the NNE just after dark, if that helps.
If you can locate Cassiopeia(the big "W") that will help locate the Comet better.

Hope that helps some... good luck!


Another APOD pic
 
C

Coquito

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2003
8,559
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I know very close to nothing about the night sky, but last night(I would have to leave my cave to check again) there was this intensely bright spark pretty close to(left side) the moon. I thought it was the north star, but that was over to my right(I believe), & not nearly as bright.

What was I looking at?
Thanks. :)
 
petrusbroder

petrusbroder

Elite Member
Nov 28, 2004
13,348
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Thanks for the info - I found the comet. It looked impressive - the pics were no good though ... :(
 
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Spacehead

Lifer
Jun 2, 2002
13,067
9,858
136
Originally posted by: Assimilator1
You've remembered I'm in the UK?;)
Click to expand...
Yes, i remebered. You can still see it from there.



Originally posted by: Coquito
I know very close to nothing about the night sky, but last night(I would have to leave my cave to check again) there was this intensely bright spark pretty close to(left side) the moon. I thought it was the north star, but that was over to my right(I believe), & not nearly as bright.

What was I looking at?
Thanks. :)
Click to expand...
Venus would be my guess... assuming it was near dawn?




Originally posted by: petrusbroder
Thanks for the info - I found the comet. It looked impressive - the pics were no good though ... :(
Click to expand...
Glad you got to see it.
You're saying the links to the pics aren't working for you?
 
petrusbroder

petrusbroder

Elite Member
Nov 28, 2004
13,348
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Originally posted by: Spacehead
Originally posted by: petrusbroder
Thanks for the info - I found the comet. It looked impressive - the pics were no good though ... :(
Click to expand...
Glad you got to see it.
You're saying the links to the pics aren't working for you?
Click to expand...
[/quote]
No, sorry for the misunderstanding. The links work perfectly for me.
I was thinking more then writing.
I tried to take some pictures of the comet, but those pics were not good enough for posting.
 
W

Wiz

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
6,459
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81
Ass1 -

Cassiopeia = Big "W" thingy in the night sky

Over here it is tilted on it's side, if you make a line using the second from the bottom segment in the "W" and sight down that line a little ways the comet intersects it. There's a star named Perseus just to the right of the comet, so if you can find either of those (Cassiopeia or Perseus) then you can find the fuzzy blob comet. A small set of binoculars provides a good view, look at the stars in that neighborhood, they should resolve to small points of light while the comet will be a "fuzzy blob" ;)
 
Assimilator1

Assimilator1

Elite Member
Nov 4, 1999
24,165
524
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Cool ,& that short movie with the tail getting ripped off is interesting too:)

Wiz
Now that's more like it ,I know where too look :):thumbsup:
 
S

Spacehead

Lifer
Jun 2, 2002
13,067
9,858
136
I just stepped outside & the sky was actually clear here. Comet was straight up at zenith. Naked eye, you can tell it's getting more diffuse than it was the last time i got to look at it. With the binoculars you can see a slight elongation in it too... not the sphere it used to be.

Took a quick look at the Orion Nebula & open clusters M36, M37, M38. Mars was visible too.



I hope you can find it Assimilator1.
 
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Coquito

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2003
8,559
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Could anyone take a picture of the night sky where it is currently residing & point it out. I don't participate in astronomy, & don't have a telescope, but I could probably get my hands on a decent pair of binoculars. :)
 
S

Spacehead

Lifer
Jun 2, 2002
13,067
9,858
136
I drew a reference line from Cassiopeia(the big "W") to the Comet's location here

Let me know if you need more help locating it.
I don' t know what your sky conditions are there(NYC?) but it's naked eye here for me(fairly dark NWPa)

Note that the comet has moved closer to Alpha Cassiopeia(the bright star) than in the original pic i posted.
 
C

Coquito

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2003
8,559
1
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Originally posted by: Wiz
Maybe it's easier if the sky in the image is black & the stars are white?

Look at this picture - holmes2.gif
Click to expand...

Originally posted by: Spacehead
I drew a reference line from Cassiopeia(the big "W") to the Comet's location here

Let me know if you need more help locating it.
I don' t know what your sky conditions are there(NYC?) but it's naked eye here for me(fairly dark NWPa)

Note that the comet has moved closer to Alpha Cassiopeia(the bright star) than in the original pic i posted.
Click to expand...

Lol, I mean an actual picture of the night sky, & an estimation on where it might it be. :) It can't look much different a few hours west.
 
S

Spacehead

Lifer
Jun 2, 2002
13,067
9,858
136
This is tough to explain over the internet...
As of this post... go outside & face due North. If North is 12 o'clock & East is 3 o'clock, turn to the 1 o'clock position. Now tilt you head back till you looking up about 60-70 degrees above the horizon(90 degrees being straight up)

Again, i'm assuming you're in the NYC area.
 
W

Wiz

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
6,459
16
81
We just got done looking at comet Holmes with our 8 inch Meade Dobsonian.
It was visible through our roof window, so we could all stay warm and see it.
It's good for the kids to see that stuff, best $60 I ever spent.

Seriously, for $60 I got the Meade 8 inch Dob & several Super Plossl eyepieces.
Gotta love Ebay!! Oh - free delivery too since my Mother in Law went & picked it up and brought it to us! That was a few years ago.

My 26 mm eyepiece has 1.25 inch diameter glass all the way through - I know that only gives me 46X but it's a very clear & wide FOV 46X. The comet looked great.

Go here for some pictures and links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes

It looked like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...c_holmes10min_1105.jpg
 
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