Comet strengthens

[triedit]

On October 23rd, the comet was a dim 17th magnitude, 25,000 times too faint to be seen with the unaided eye. One day later, it had brightened to 7th magnitude, and the most recent observations peg it at magnitude 2 to 3: an increase of a factor of one million. (The magnitude scale used by astronomers is logarithmic.)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071025155840.htm

This comet was discovered in the 1800's and has a 7 year cycle. This year, it has increased intensity enough to be seen even in the city. Some sources also claim it is finally starting to show signs of a tail, not visible before.

 

[hermanntrude]

Fascinating.

I found a map. I'm gonna try and get a look at it asap

 

[#juan]

We will be looking at this comet if we ever get clear skies before Easter. When we've had clear skies recently, we just happened to have been doing something else. I'll post any pictures we get.

 

[hermanntrude]

i just noticed how crappy that picture is when reduced in size. here's a better one:

LINK

 

[#juan]

Thanks for the map Herman........Like I said, as soon as we get a bit of clear sky we'll get some pictures.

 

[Tonington]

i just noticed how crappy that picture is when reduced in size. here's a better one:

LINK

That happens lots on here. I just right click, view image.

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

I love this stuff!!! soooo in plain engrish.....where can i look ....North?

 

[Dreadful Nonsense]

And these things harbringers of doom....Hale Bop ushered in 911 as far as i'm concerned...of course it was a full broom.....this one isn't so we might get off lucky

 

[#juan]

That happens lots on here. I just right click, view image.

We got several pictures last night. I just have to convert them to something I can post on the discussion board........sometime later today.

 

[#juan]

Meanwhile, this is what it looks like'

 

[hermanntrude]

fantastic juan. well done. what magnitude is it now do u know?

 

[hermanntrude]

I love this stuff!!! soooo in plain engrish.....where can i look ....North?

roughly east northeast

 

[eh1eh]

roughly east northeast

Here is is painted on the sky. APOD

 

[#juan]

fantastic juan. well done. what magnitude is it now do u know?

Something around magnitude 2.....An unheard of jump from magnitude 17

 

[#juan]

Here are three images taken from my son's place in Vancouver:

The first image is basically what it looks like in the telescope. The second uses one of the standard colour maps in DS9 to show some interesting detail.
The third image was built by rotating the image by 3 degrees and subtracting it from the original.to show that the comet is not a shiny cue ball, but a big, dirty, snowball with gas and dust boiling out of it.

 

[#juan]

BTW, DS9 is an imaging program

http://hea-www.harvard.edu/RD/ds9/

 

[#juan]

I'm a bit ashamed because I just realized that this comet has already been around the Sun and it is heading back out again. Usually a comet will "bloom" so to speak, on the way into the inner system. Gas or ice will boil off to make a tail, and we all have something to talk about for a month or two. Comet 17P Holmes will likely last for another day or two at the current brightness and then it will fade away till next time.

 

[Kreskin]

Nice work #juan.

 

[triedit]

Thanks for all this Juan!

 

[#juan]

The comet is currently heading away from the sun, and was quite dim before the outburst... about mag 18. It could have spontaneously cracked and let a bit of junk and gas out, or maybe it got hit by something... nobody knows for sure yet. Have to measure the orbits of the comet and the cloud for the next few weeks to see what happened.