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quicksimon — Comet 17P Holmes
Published: 2007-11-19 23:40:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 714; Favourites: 16; Downloads: 13
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Description
17/P Holmes is a periodic comet in our solar system that recently changed its brightness from mag 17 to mag 3! It was discovered in 1892 by a British amateur astronomer, Edwin Holmes.This couldn't have been better placed for looking at and imaging, directly overhead at around midnight!
Taken with a 350D with 300mm sigma lens @ f5.6 piggy-backed on the scope. I took some images through the scope, and it looks too bright!!
This one is probably over-exposed too.
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Comments: 42
Looks like a flying snowball with motion blur to me...cheater!
Great shot, looks more interesing to me, when it's over-exposed.
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ha ha!! ok ok , it's a snowball! 
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thanks! yeah, it's weird with no tail
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Oh wow, that's really awesome & amazing that you caught a comet on film. It looks like it is facing towards our direction, since there isn't a tail visible. Is it still around? What part of the sky? What is the bright star by it? Hmmm, even if this comet is still around, I'd doubt I'd be able to see it because the moon has been as bright as the sun lately. :-p
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Great shot! Nice tail it's developing there! Enjoy it's altitude!
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Thanks man, I'm enjoying it alt, thanks
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I WENT OUT AND SAW THIS A FEW WEEKS AGO!!! IT WAS FRIGGIN AWESOME!!! MY ROOMMATE FROM TRINIDAD DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO SEE IT BUT IT IS SOO FREEKIN AWESOME!!! HOLMES ROCKS!!!
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Man, what's up with your roommate from trinidad?
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He just doesn't appreciate this stuff is all. Holmes does rock.
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I wanted to see this so bad. But the air here stinks! It's choked full of smog
I heard speculations that it's brightness increased because it's breaking apart a little? I don't know how much merit that can hold because I don't know much about these comets. I've heard the rind of debris outside of pluto is mostly asteroids. Some are loosely packed together to make a single asteroid and easily break apart...like cassini...and that's what I thought was sort of going on here.
The ice cloud looks so massive. Normally it's trailing behind, but this one looks like it's just envoloped the whole object.
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Hope you get to see this one! I'm not sure why its brightness increased so much, you might be right about it breaking up! It would be cool to see a tail, but can't complain
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Comets are awesome things to see no matter what. When you take their size, speed and where they've come from and are going into account, they're awe inspiring.
I remember seeing a comet ... about thirteen years ago or so...i don't recall what it's name was...but I've had a good respect for them since
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Yeah, they're the the original building blocks of the solar system. Are you think of Hale Bopp? That was in 1997
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yep. that was it. Wow, should've just looked it up...
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HA! I was wondering when you or ~Chrissyo were going to post this, I guess you won!
The weather has been super crappy around here the past 3 weeks, so I've only had 2 nights where I've been out and looked for it, but I still have yet to have time to get my telescope out for it. So, thanks for sharing this!
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Thanks man! I don't think Chris will be be able to see this baby down in Aus. It's hanging about in perseus at the mo, so too north for southerners 
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Oh yeah, I forget that he's down under.
Last Thursday (Thanksgiving) night was especially clear out, so I busted out my crappy department store refractor telescope. I was able to see Holmes, it was pretty bright, but nothing compared to what you see here! I also got a good look at Mars and even got a blurry look at the Orion Nebula. All and all, well worth freezing my fingers and toes off for a couple hours in my backyard!
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wow - great job! its really big one... is it full frame?
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Thanks mate! Yeah, it's big. Have you seen it? This is the full frame of a 300mm lens' fov; not sure how many degrees that covers 
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Yeah yeah, thanks
I haven't seen it yet because of two factors - clouds and ignorance - I didn't know it is 3mag!
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wonderful
was it still in Perseus when you were taking this photo?
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That star in Simon's shot is Mirfak, part of the Perseus constillation. I tried shooting when it was right next to it and the dust cloud was partially obscuring Mirfak, but my tracker was giving me problems and it was freaking cold. Nice shot Simon! For those who have missed it so far it will be around for a few months.
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Thanks a lot mate! I'll be looking forward to your images
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Clouds willing! I think I need new batteries in my tracker too.
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Thank you, yeah, it was around there. It would be cool if it flew through the double cluster; now wouldn't that be a photo opportunity!
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The light clutter, weather, and surrounding hills conspire to block the view of this.... this is the first comet I have missed ever.
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oh no, that's a shame. Sorry to hear that. So it must be quite low where you are then? It's directly above for me! Although, as always light pollution doesn't help, but can't complain as it was clear and moonless last week!
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No. I can see the right part of the sky, but the relief in my neighborhood is so sharp that the trees on the nearby hills partially block the view. My house sits at about 350 feet above sea level, the hills to the North rise to 700-800 feet in less than 1/2 a mile..and they now have friggin houses on them with owners who think darkness must be obliterated by every light possible. I'd have to go climb a local mountain to get a good view.
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ah, that's a shame 
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I live in New Jersey. That might explain why the night sky is not very clear..
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