Comet 17P/Holmes
Mystery Comet
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| Other names: |
— |
| Optics: |
Takahashi FSQ-106ED @ f/5 |
| Mount: |
Mountain Instruments MI-250 w/Gemini on ATS pier |
| Camera: |
SBIG ST-10XME @ -15°C |
| Exposure: |
90 seconds [ 30 seconds each of Ha, SII, and OIII ] |
| Accessories: |
SBIG CFW-10 and Astrodon 6nm filters |
| Location: |
Ontario, CA |
| Date |
October 25, 2007 |
| Notes: |
Processing: Image acquisition, align, and combine in CCDSoft. Levels, curves, unsharp mask in Photoshop.
Comet Holmes was fairly bright when it was discovered in 1892 and even slightly brighter shortly thereafter in 1893. Since then the brightness of the comet has sunk to a dismal level, not even visible in telescopes found in many suburban backyards. Then on October 23rd and 24th of 2007, it suddenly brightened to magnitude 7 then to 2.5! From my very light-polluted backyard and through the thick smoke and haze of the California fires, the comet appears as a noticeable star. Through binoculars it appears as a small, fuzzy ball of light. And above is how it appears to the camera through a 4" telescope.
The exact reason for it's sudden brightening may never be known but it's likely that the comet's surface cracked, exposing and releasing ice or gas that had previously been trapped in the interior. This can create a highly reflective cloud of debris.
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