Celestia Forums

So uh... anybody besides me looking at Comet 17P Holmes every night for the past couple of nights?

In case you didn't know, it broke up or something, and is now a mag 2 object. It was a mag 17 object, thus, it's brightness increased ~1,000,000-fold.

Saw it yesteroday through my 13 centimetre reflector and it appeared to be a diffuse spherical haze with a dense bright nucleus.

Saw it tonight through the same telescope and the sphere was larger and dimmer, the nucleus appeared about the same.

(Note: When I say nucleus, I refer to the inner dense bright region, not the solid rock at the centre. I call it a nucleus because the image I get resembles a cell)

Unfortunately I live in a big city and I would not be able to see it short of it coming to hit the earth.

MKruer wrote:Unfortunately I live in a big city and I would not be able to see it short of it coming to hit the earth.

That's alright... We can use more water...

Sorry, just couldn't resist.

http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0017P/2007.html

Though the comet isn't that bright in Celestia (well, it is invisible at all when observed from Earth)
as it is on the night sky, give it a try:
http://www.celestiamotherlode.net/catalog/show_addon_details.php?addon_id=1083

Switch on orbits and names for comets, go to the surface of Earth (northern hemisphere)
and take a look to 'Perseus'. Grab your binoculars and go finding the comet as a white blot
in your backyard.


Adirondack

Okay, I'll admit it when I'm mistaken. Just watched a National
Geographic program concerning comets, and - as usual - I didn't
know what the hell I was talking about.

A very good non-technical explanation of the Oort Cloud and the
Kuiper Belt got my attention. Early solar system creation theories
were explained so that I could understand them, and I now see why
some scientists argue that there could well have been enough comet
strikes on the Earth to account for oceans. I still find it hard to
grasp, but the ideas are sound.

I was also unaware of the fact that comets can also be found with
diameters in excess of 600 miles, and that they are generally
constructed with about 50% water at their nuclei.

Very interesting to watch and listen to these explanations. Why can't
some of YOU guys explain things in simple terms?

Thanks, Brain-Dead

What's yer point?

BobHegwood wrote:What's yer point?

Short question, brief answer:
Holmes magnitude is decreasing.

Adirondack

Adirondack wrote:

BobHegwood wrote:What's yer point?

Short question, brief answer:
Holmes magnitude is decreasing.

Adirondack

Like I said before, "Why cant' more of you people give answers we
can understand?"

Thanks Ulrich...

BobHegwood wrote:Thanks Ulrich...

Bob, you want a pic?
Here it comes...



Adirondack

Adirondack wrote:

BobHegwood wrote:Thanks Ulrich...

Bob, you want a pic?
Here it comes...
Adirondack

See? Wasn't that easier than trying to make my poor head hurt with
all of that gibberish above? <grin>

You ARE the MAN, Ulrich. BTW, I KNOW I'm really not this dumb, but
I still think that communicating one's point should take precedence
over establishing one's intelligence.

Here the actual position of Comet 17P Holmes:

http://www.heavens-above.com/comet.aspx ... 118&tz=CET

I think I might've seen it the other night despite some city lights...