Comet Holmes from home

Marek Cichanski

I only saw 17P/Holmes with binos last night, after arriving home from a night class. Tonight I pulled the binos out again, and I could see that it had gotten noticeably brighter.

This prompted me to set up my 18" f/4.5 dobsonian. Normally, of course, this would seem a bit silly, setting up the 18" dob at home, under bright lights, under a full moon, but I was glad I did! The nucleus of the comet was a very bright, starlike point. The 'main' part of the coma was still circular, but there was an asymmetrical, brighter, inner portion of the coma that projected slightly SSW (IIRC) from the nucleus. It was a remarkable sight. Worth all of the setup and teardown chores!

Plus... my Sky Commander arrived, and I'm very excited. I will have some encoder-related issues to deal with, but I'm psyched. Years of star-hopping were rewarding, but man I'm looking forward to 'pushing-to'. Goodness, that will be nice. Maybe I can give that a shakedown cruise next week, if it stays clear.

Marek

Observing Reports Observing Sites GSSP 2010, July 10 - 14
Frosty Acres Ranch
Adin, CA

OMG! Its full of stars.
Golden State Star Party
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