Bright Comet in Sky

[Dschur]

Hey all there is a really bright comet if you look tonight or soon. They don't know how long it will be bright. It is easy naked eye from the city as well with the full moon.
October 24, 2007
A nearly unprecedented outburst has raised Comet 17P/Holmes from a 17th-magnitude object visible only through large telescopes into plain view without optical aid. The comet lies in Perseus the Hero and will remain visible all night from most of the Northern Hemisphere.

This morning, observers in Japan reported Comet Holmes glowing at 3rd magnitude — bright enough to see with naked eyes even from most cities — and still growing brighter. If you have clear weather tonight, head out once the sky darkens and look toward the northeast.

The comet lies about 30° high — one-third of the way from the horizon to straight overhead — at 9 p.m. local daylight time. It then appears about twice as high as the bright star Capella. For observers at mid-northern latitudes, the comet climbs directly overhead between 2 and 3 a.m. You'll have to contend with a nearly Full Moon all night, but you still should see the comet plainly.

Unlike most bright comets, Holmes doesn't possess a long tail. It looks just like a modestly bright star, so you'll need to use the finder chart to zero in on it. Even large telescopes reveal no details. The comet currently lies 150 million miles (245 million km) from Earth and 225 million miles (365 million km) from the Sun.

No one knows how long the outburst will last. When London observer Edwin Holmes discovered the comet in November 1892, it was also in an outburst and some 100,000 times brighter than it normally is. During that appearance, the comet faded 3 magnitudes in the course of a week.

[Dschur]

Here is a map to the comet...

[PaleoRob]

Thanks for the info! I'll be looking for it.

[Dschur]

This thing is so easy to see that you can see it from downtown Phoenix or any light polluted area. About 7pm and 45 degrees up from the horizon to the north east just under the "W" of Cassiopeia and it is a once in a life time comet. And with a small pair of binos you can see that it isn't stellar and is gold in color unusual for a comet.

[joebartels]

I'm curious what's in my photo here that appears to be gunfire on the four peaks
http://hikearizona.com/phoZOOM.php?ZIP=49743

that's east NE and you have to squint to see it, middle and slightly right

[Dschur]

I'm curious what's in my photo here that appears to be gunfire on the four peaks
http://hikearizona.com/phoZOOM.php?ZIP=49743

that's east NE and you have to squint to see it, middle and slightly right

Is that to the right of Four Peaks? The streaks in the sky? Like four of them? Was this a 30 sec picture??? I was trying to figure out the stats on the picture.

Why is this catagory listed as Astrology?????

[joebartels]

dangit, that's what you get from a unix guy
it did begin with an A

[Dschur]

I thought that I was going to have to get out my star charts and find out if mars was in the right house or something like that.

[Dschur]

If you picture is taken about 30 secs or so long it is stars starting to appear in the picture and the rotation of the stars around the pole star. The farther from the pole the longer the stars appear to move and cause streaks in the sky.

[joebartels]

hmmm cause this one is looking due west
http://hikearizona.com/phoZOOM.php?ZIP=49745

within the same time frame give or take thirty minutes but it's also a 30 second exposure
though looking away from the light

[PrestonSands]

I'm curious what's in my photo here that appears to be gunfire on the four peaks
http://hikearizona.com/phoZOOM.php?ZIP=49743

that's east NE and you have to squint to see it, middle and slightly right

Notice how the streaks are paralell. Stars, I say!

[joebartels]

yep
guess they're just faster in the east, must be from jersey

[big_load]

I thought that I was going to have to get out my star charts and find out if mars was in the right house or something like that.

The moon is supposed to be in the seventh house, and jupiter aligns with mars.

[Dschur]

If you picture is taken about 30 secs or so long it is stars starting to appear in the picture and the rotation of the stars around the pole star. The farther from the pole the longer the stars appear to move and cause streaks in the sky.

Okay I checked with my astrophoto pro (my husband) and he says
"at first they look like star trails that one would expect in a 2 minute exposure. But since the exposure was only 30s, and no other stars are seen in the image, one would think they are some internal reflections like streaks on the chip cover slip."

[joebartels]

photo was taken at 6:52:28pm 30s f/8 140mm
at 7:04:53pm 15s f/11 140mm they are in the exact pattern only higher and further right so they're moving up and right

they're not in any other shots either
who knows, maybe it's the Houston Astros practicing!

[PaleoRob]

I don't know who's planet is in who's house, but I do know that Yoaltecuhtli is the Lord of the Night for today...

[Dschur]

photo was taken at 6:52:28pm 30s f/8 140mm
at 7:04:53pm 15s f/11 140mm they are in the exact pattern only higher and further right so they're moving up and right

they're not in any other shots either
who knows, maybe it's the Houston Astros practicing!

Okay now that we know that you had a zoom on to 140mm it really is stars and the trails. The other is on 16mm wide angle and not zoomed so that is why the stars aren't trailed and because the moon is coming up is why there are no other stars those are the brighter ones...

[joebartels]

interesting, that's good to know
thx!

[Dschur]

This comet is still in the sky and is changing constantly. It is now bigger and a little bit fainter. Still can be seen easily from the light polluted areas of most towns and citys. Still basically in the same part of the sky.
My husband has posted some of his latest pictures on our website
http://www.schursastrophotography.com/
Check out the comet with binos....

[beterarcher]

I found a link to a new comet, so I bumped this thread and provided a link to NASA. It's supposed to be a good one. It's called ISON and it ISONit's way

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/sc ... cometison/