(meteorobs) Comet Holmes: An amazing object!

[meteoreye at comcast.net]

Definately a "Don't miss" object; it finally cleared last night.

I obseved throughout the evening and again shortly after 5 AM.

I roughly estimated it at mag +2.8, but it was very hard with the moon so nearby.

It may have been my mind playing tricks, but the coma seemed larger when I looked at 5 AM.

Something to do while waiting for dark skies to return for meteors :)

Wayne in NJ

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Skywayinc at aol.com 

> Please forgive me if this is a bit off-topic . . . 
> 
> These are some remarks I posted tonight on the ASLI (Astronomical 
> Society of Long Island) list-bot about 17P/Comet Holmes; this was in 
> response to an observation 
> made by ASLI member, Sam Storch. -- joe r. 
> 
> 
> In a message dated 10/27/2007 10:10:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
> samstorch at yahoo.com writes: 
> 
> The comet is indeed nearly as bright as Marfak (Alpha 
> Perseii) and in the 14x70 Fujinons is HUGE, with a 
> light lemon-yellow tinge to the brighter inside area. 
> The overall "effect" is reminiscent of photos of the 
> Eskimo nebula. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------- 
> Hi Sam -- 
> 
> Just spent the last hour (9:30 to 10:30 p.m. EDT/Saturday) examining 
> Comet 17P/Holmes with my wide-angle (11-degree) 7 x 35 binoculars, 
> as well as my 10.1-inch Dob from my driveway in Putnam Valley, NY). 
> 
> The following estimates are valid for 10:30 p.m. EDT (or Oct. 28.104 UT). 
> 
> I spent a long time trying to estimate the total magnitude (m1) of the 
> comet. 
> Made comparisons both with the naked-eye and the binos with Marfak and 
> Delta Persei. That #$%^ Moon, which is now pretty much in conjunction with 
> the comet . . . albeit well to its south . . . made it tough, but I finally 
> settled 
> on magnitude +2.5. Even with the bright Moon, however, you can tell with 
> the unaided eye that Holmes is diffuse/fuzzy as compared to Alpha and 
> Delta. With the binos, the beautiful lemon-yellow color of the comet is 
> brought 
> out and it appears as a distinct circular patch. 
> 
> Through the 10.1-inch Dob, closer inspection at 46X and 139X brought out the 
> tiny 
> star-like central condensation, surounded by a whitish oval glow, roughly 
> 2-arc 
> minutes across. This feature is noticeably off-center from the stellar 
> condensation. 
> Finally, there is the outermost section of the coma, an almost symmetrical, 
> circular, yellowish-white patch of which I estimated/guesstimated using the 
> 10.1-inch 
> at 139X was a "solid" 3.6-arc minutes in diameter. 
> 
> Yes, I agree with you Sam, very reminiscent of the Eskimo 
> (or "Clown-face") Nebula! 
> 
> A remarkable object, which can only get better as the bright Moon slowly 
> pulls area from this sector of the sky in the nights to come! And fine and 
> dry weather 
> is expected for at least the next several nights! 
> 
> If any of you have not seen Holmes yet, what more can I say, except: 
> COME(T) AND GET IT! 
> 
> -- joe rao 
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org 
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org 
> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs