Comet Holmes Suddenly Brightens
Comet 17P/Holmes Now Visible without a Telescope
An unexpected brightening has brought Comet 17P/Holmes into naked-eye visibility. Catch it while you can.
Comet 17P/Holmes has undergone an as-yet unexplained outburst as it has increased in brightness by a factor of a million on October 24, according to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Originally a 17th-magnitude comet, which is one that can only be seen with very large telescopes, the comet is now around magnitude 2, but this could change at any time, growing brighter or dimmer. Spaceweather.com reported the outburst after astronomers in Japan, Iran, and other locations were surprised with what they thought were going to be routine observations.
Finding Comet Holmes
Comet Holmes is currently in the constellation Perseus. Perseus can be found after sunset in the northeastern sky. Perseus is easily found by the constellation above it, Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is easy to find because it is shaped like a "W". The W is hanging on its side in the sky, and if you look left of the W, toward the horizon, you will find a string of stars dangling downward toward the ground. This string of stars is Perseus.
The brightest star in Perseus is magnitude 1.79 Mirfak. Comet Holmes is located a little to the lower left of Mirfak. Use one of these finder maps to locate Comet Holmes. Comet Holmes will be moving in a loop in this same region of Perseus over the next few months.
Appearance of Comet Holmes
Initial reports by amateur astronomers detail a comet that looks more like a star, with no discernible tail. This may change. The comet appears as a star in Perseus but under magnification of binoculars or a telescope begins to show its fuzzy comet-like appearance.
For more on its appearance and how to find it, read my observing logs from October 24, October 25, October 28, November 2, November 9, November 15 and November 27.
History of Comet 17P/Holmes
Comet Holmes has been known to astronomers since 1892, when it underwent a similar outburst to the one that is occurring today. According to The Cosmic Mirror, over 100 years ago, when the comet had its earlier brightening, it stayed brilliant for more than a week, remaining visible to the unaided eye for three weeks. The size of the comet's coma appeared to increase. Then, a couple months later, a second outburst occurred in Holmes. It is unknown if the comet's sudden brightening will follow this previous event, but keep your eye on it to find out!
Data on Comet Holmes
Comet Holmes orbits the sun once every seven years at a distance of 200 million miles. It may be a new crack in this small chunk of ice that is causing it to look more reflective. The comet's appearance currently looks more like a planet, and some are confusing the new light in the sky as being a nova.
Other Bright Comets
Skywatchers have been provided with great luck over the past year, with two excellent comets coming into view before Comet Holmes. Comet Lovejoy appeared in March of 2007. And in January of 2007, Comet McNaught brightened dramatically, giving viewers the best comet show in over 30 years. Stay tuned, there's no telling what the universe will throw at us next!
Images courtesy of Eric Allen, Chris Schur, Richard Stanton, Thomas Dame, and Ishak Benbanaste.
If you have any photos of Comet Holmes to share, e-mail them to me.
To share your Comet Holmes observations, use the link below to start a discussion.
Read about Comet Holmes as the new largest object in the solar system.
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