New Naked Eye Comet - 17/P Holmes

Comet 17/P Holmes
26 October 2007/ 1200mm/8mm/150X/ Watercolor / Pastels/ Conte
barlows did nothing for the image

I had a 30 minute window in between clouds, to catch this icy visitor in my telescope. I had to shield my scope and my eyes form the moon light by hiding behind my house.

First I looked in my 15X70 binos, and I could see a halo around the comet, a very different view to October 24th, I reckoned this had brightned to around Mag 2.

I popped my 8mmTVP into the scope and oh yes this was a sketch I had to have. So here it is,cloud and rain here in Bray at the moment so most likely not look this evening.
I am thinking up new ways of getting this comet, it is a challenge to sketch as it has so many properties to deal with. Hope it's there for a while longer.

Deirdre Kelleghan
Irish Astronomical Society

There are some fab images there lads and lassie. Nicely done!

if it go to 15 it would become a naked eye disk in the sky

:shock:
That'd be too cool for school.
G'waaan Holmes!

I've seen it through the bins on Wednesday and finally got the chance to see it last night through the scope, I'm amazed by it! This is my fourth comet and looks nothing like the others!!

Does anyone have an idea what caused the outburst? I've had explanations re the 'missing' tail and why it looks different, but nothing yet re the cause of the outburst.

The most popular explanations seem to be either impact from an asteroid or the ilk, or some reaction from within the comet.

I know it was discovered thanks to a similiar outburst, did they come to any conclusion then what caused it?

Hi Mia and everyone,

Legendary comet expert John Bortle has a message on the comet mail list speculating on the possibility of a partial collapse of a section of the comet on itself. Read more at tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/comets-ml/message/12908


On the point of the dark band seen by observers we were speculating today that the band could be the shadow(s) of the bright jet of material from the nucleus projected on the expanding shell -- similar to seeing the shadow of a jet aircraft contrail against the underside of a cloudbank. A way to confirm would be to determine if the shadows rotate at a rate that might be consistent with the bright jet, as the nucleus spins.

Another idea I was mulling over was whether more recent eruptions of material are "shocking" earlier shells of dust puffed off from the nucleus/site of outgassing. I'd lean more towards the former idea but could be way off the mark here on all theories :roll:

Clear skies!

John

I like that sketch Dee. Very accurate.