Comet Holmes visits Mirfak - Photo by Ed Johnson, Los Angeles, California

Comet Holmes visits Mirfak
Originally uploaded by edhiker

For no apparent reason, it erupted from a very dim magnitude 17 to about magnitude 2½. Within a day its starlike nucleus had expanded into a perfectly round, bright little disk in binoculars and telescopes. It looked like no comet ever seen" , S&T www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog


Enhanced version of
www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/2040198939

Canon RAW 9572-82 (11) 1600 30s
Comet_Holmes_Up_Levels_SlightGC_Cr 11/16/07

All night Comet Holmes visits Mirfak

All night Comet Holmes visits Mirfak
Originally uploaded by edhiker

This is a full frame jpg ride-along to a series of RAWs - will do more to this capture when I have time. Note light clouds in lower right. Low clouds covered some of Los Angeles light pollution, just under my level of 2200'.

Why did Comet Holmes brighten by a factor of a million - the puzzle is discussed at
www.skyandtelescope.com/news/11372856.html

Map of area around comet and Mirfak is at : media.skyandtelescope.com/images/Holmes_findr_640px.jpg

About the star Mirfak - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91_Persei
MIRFAK (Alpha Persei). Perseus, the ancient hero who rescued Andromeda.

Telescope setup is at www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/35109522/

Comet_Holmes_CRW_9584jpg_C ..... Friday, November 16, 2007 10:58 PM