New Naked Eye Comet - 17/P Holmes

Dave, your photo is what I saw in my Dob just now - though much better seeing the real photons I reckon - it's so bright!

Last shot - I promise, unless it gets brighter :shock:

This is with my new Canon ef 24-70mm 'L' lens at f4. It's just a great sight!!!
Keith..

Yup . Dave. You got it nailed there. Thats exactly what I'm seeing through the 12'' dob.

Here is my sketch from earlier this evening. White gel pen
15X70 Binos/ 20:20UT - 24/10/07 It's the bright dot right of Lambada Persei and south of 43 Persei. Perhaps mag 2.5 as it did seem very bright even with the strong moon light.

Perseus/ Comet 17/P Holmes looking much brighter than Delta Persei.
Very non stellar look, in fact in the binoulars I thought it looked a little yellow but that may have been something else?

I also managed a telescopic sketch with a 25mm eyepiece at 48X which showed it to be very circular with perhaps more brightness toward the left as I viewed. The fuzzy outgasing seemed evenly spread in a halo around this icy visitor. Total cloud here in Bray now so perhaps early morning or tomorrow for another look.

Deirdre Kelleghan
Irish Astronomical SocietyP

This comet is easy to spot naked eye even with the Moon and suburban skies and really bright in binoculars. It's in the same binocular FOV as Delta Persei and in my opinion the same magnitude, i.e. 3.0. It's like a nova has appeared in Perseus!

I'd agree with that mag. estimate.
BTW, good to see you back here Gordon.

Thanks Michael...I've been absent for a while. Took a break from astronomy but hope to get back into it over the winter.

Isn't astronomy just a fantastic hobby! You just never know what the universe will throw at you!

Myself and my technically sick partner (who I may have kinda dragged out of bed) just managed to see it through hazy cloud from the middle of the street! Neither the street lights nor the near full Moon could drown this one out!

My detailed report can be found here: www.bartbusschots.ie/blog/?p=561

Bart.