New Naked Eye Comet - 17/P Holmes

Just spotted it! Looks like an extra "star" in Perseus. Very easy to see with the naked eye, even with the moonlight. Looked like a dense globular cluster with the 16".

Just spotted it! Looks like an extra "star" in Perseus. Very easy to see with the naked eye, even with the moonlight. Looked like a dense globular cluster with the 16".

See thats why I'm back in looking at maps! I cant see a comet just a star that shouldn't be there. Good to hear I'm actually looking at the right thing!

It very near the brightest star in Perseus....

Mirphak?

Bout quarter of the way from Mirphak to Capella. Its the star that shouldn't be there.

Damned fog and high cloud... :x

Wow!!!!! This is the single most strangest comet I have ever seen in my Life, earlier today, an alert went out that this comet had suddenly brighened from a predicted magnitude 17 to magnitude 3 - incredible, I wonder how this has happened? I quickly set up my 15x70mm binoculars and I easily found it in the constellation Perseus, just about 5 degrees from Alpha Persei at magnitude 1.8, also the star Delta Persei is at magnitude 3.0, from these two stars, I can see the comet at about magnitude 2.5 !!!!! I could immediately see that it is very much yellow in colour, just like the planet Saturn, and it is definitely non star like, with a slighty elongated shape east-west, with no sign of a tail, especially since the near full moon is shining brightly.

This can easily be mistaken for a nova, and is easily visible with the naked eye ! Here is a quick shot that I took.....this will grab many headlines over the next few days...

Keith....

Nice shot Keith - I agree - it's brighter than Delta Persei so 2.5 seems about right!