Comet Alert
Comments(13)
Spaceweather.com is reporting Comet 17/Holmes is having an outburst and is currently visible with the naked eye! Normally the comet is a magnitude 17, visible with only a pretty large telescope, but for some reason it is having an outuburst and is some 500,000 times brighter than it was only 24 hours ago, making it about the same brightness as the stars of the big dipper.
To find it go to the little dipper and follow the line its handle makes, extend it out to almost the horizon and it should be there in the northeastern sky.
I have a big cloud deck but I am heading out to see if I might get a glimpse of it.
Look quick, who knows how long the outburst will last!!
Check out Spaceweather.com for charts etc.
I went out, too many clouds and the comet is not in a place where I might get the scope on it anyway.
Update: I went out this morning, saw the comet and even got some images that I will post tomorrow 10/27 if they came out.
Darn it! We have clouds here tonight!
Saw it naked eye from my front door in a 60k population town despite the full moon. A fuzzy yellow, but pretty tight, spot in 10×50 binoculars.
Wow. It was beautiful clear here. I took my students out to see the comet. It appears very star-like to the naked eye, and is it easily brighter than 3rd magnitude. It was easy to see naked eye, even in the city and with moonlight. Through binoculars, it still looked pretty star-like, but through the telescope, there was no mistaking that this was no star. Cool.
[...] Earlier today, I read Tom’s posting that a comet had suddenly brightened. The comet in question is Comet 17P/Holmes. Normally, this [...]
Have’t seen yet still looking,and we’re cloudy here too.
In western PA, we have had thick clouds since
Sunday. I can only hope that one day before I
am gone, I can see something like this.
Keep on reporting Tom.
Of course something new and different when all I can see is the nuclear winter of smoke above me. I am in the middle of all the SoCal fires, very safe, but whatever way the wind blows I get the smoke from one of them. Thanks for the regular updates on this stuff. Onshore flow today maybe?
Good luck Scott!! I lost everything to a fire once so have a little insight on the terrible plight of your area.
My thoughts are with all of you out there.
the weather is good here at th CA. AZ. border
but the smoke haze from the fires is bad even here.
i feel bad for the people in the fire area.
I’m at a reunion in San Antonio and the skies are crystal clear! Now if I can just figure out how to get out of town to a public area to see the skies without light pollution… Anyone with knowdedge of the area please respond to this posting! Thanks for the venue Tom. That full moon was gorgeous driving I-10 from Baton Rouge on the early morning of the 25th. I took some photos of same last night but haven’t been able to view them yet.
Hey Tom,
If you spot this, get an image and post it. Please.
Thanks,
>If you spot this, get an image and post it. Please.
Done
Nice work. I would like to see your images.
Glenn Gregory
Copernican Astronomical Society