twin58
10-29-2007, 09:12 PM
Google news for "comet holmes" (http://news.google.com/news?q=comet+holmes)
"Amateur astronomers the world over have been stunned and amazed by the weirdest new object to appear in the sky in memory." (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html)
Comet Holmes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes), discovered in 1892, pays a visit to Earth every 6.9 years. Ordinarily it is too dim to be seen with the naked eye. Last Wednesday, though, its brightness increased a million-fold in a matter of hours. That surprised a lot of people, and it also meant that Comet Homes is easily visible without a telescope or binoculars. I went outside last night at 1 a.m.; even with a nearly-full moon in the sky, it took me all of five seconds to find it. It is that distinctive.
How to find it.
Comet Holmes can be seen all night long, and you'll need to look for a few landmarks in the night sky to locate it. Look for the moon, the planet Mars, the stars Capella and Mirfak, and the constellation Cassiopeia.
I went outside tonight after House ended. The moon rose over DC at 8:55 p.m., and Mars rises an hour later, at just about 10 o'clock. You ought to know the moon when you see it. It is rising tonight about as far north as it ever gets. Mars is that extremely bright object that is trailing the moon (on Monday night. On Tuesday night, the moon and Mars will rise at about the same time). Look west from there to see Capella. Now turn your gaze to the northwest to find Cassiopeia, which resembles a lopsided, upside-down "W." Mirfak is on a line between Cassiopeia and Capella, and Holmes is the fuzzy object next to Mirfak, between Mirfak and Capella. Stars appear as pinpoints of light, but Holmes is fuzzy. There's no mistaking it.
See Comet Holmes Tonight! (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/10862521.html)
http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/HolmesFindr_8pm_341px.jpg
http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/HolmesFinder_11pm_341px.jpg
As far north as it is, Holmes is probably currently not visible to Australians. That may change; I do not know.
"Amateur astronomers the world over have been stunned and amazed by the weirdest new object to appear in the sky in memory." (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html)
Comet Holmes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes), discovered in 1892, pays a visit to Earth every 6.9 years. Ordinarily it is too dim to be seen with the naked eye. Last Wednesday, though, its brightness increased a million-fold in a matter of hours. That surprised a lot of people, and it also meant that Comet Homes is easily visible without a telescope or binoculars. I went outside last night at 1 a.m.; even with a nearly-full moon in the sky, it took me all of five seconds to find it. It is that distinctive.
How to find it.
Comet Holmes can be seen all night long, and you'll need to look for a few landmarks in the night sky to locate it. Look for the moon, the planet Mars, the stars Capella and Mirfak, and the constellation Cassiopeia.
I went outside tonight after House ended. The moon rose over DC at 8:55 p.m., and Mars rises an hour later, at just about 10 o'clock. You ought to know the moon when you see it. It is rising tonight about as far north as it ever gets. Mars is that extremely bright object that is trailing the moon (on Monday night. On Tuesday night, the moon and Mars will rise at about the same time). Look west from there to see Capella. Now turn your gaze to the northwest to find Cassiopeia, which resembles a lopsided, upside-down "W." Mirfak is on a line between Cassiopeia and Capella, and Holmes is the fuzzy object next to Mirfak, between Mirfak and Capella. Stars appear as pinpoints of light, but Holmes is fuzzy. There's no mistaking it.
See Comet Holmes Tonight! (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/10862521.html)
http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/HolmesFindr_8pm_341px.jpg
http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/HolmesFinder_11pm_341px.jpg
As far north as it is, Holmes is probably currently not visible to Australians. That may change; I do not know.