Comet 17/P Holmes
This image was taken November 19 of Comet 17/P Holmes. It was created from 11 x 1 minute exposures.
This is an amazing comet due to its outburst in late October. Comet Holmes comes into the solar system
about every 7 years and is usually extremely dim. But, on October 24 the comet brightened almost a million
times in a matter of hours to become a naked eye object in the constellation Perseus. The comet is
currently near opposition with the Earth and Sun so the main tail is pointed back towards us. When this
image was taken, the comet was about the size of the moon in the night sky, but of course much dimmer.
The star near the comet's edge is Mirfak, the brightest star in Perseus.
This is an amazing comet due to its outburst in late October. Comet Holmes comes into the solar system
about every 7 years and is usually extremely dim. But, on October 24 the comet brightened almost a million
times in a matter of hours to become a naked eye object in the constellation Perseus. The comet is
currently near opposition with the Earth and Sun so the main tail is pointed back towards us. When this
image was taken, the comet was about the size of the moon in the night sky, but of course much dimmer.
The star near the comet's edge is Mirfak, the brightest star in Perseus.
