FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Re: Comet Holmes on Monday night

[Jeff Hopkins <phxjeff@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The last couple of nights have been great for observing. While I 
cannot see Comet Holmes naked eye from my backyard, it is very 
significant in my new 7 X 50 binoculars. It's like  giant ghostly 
cloud just above Mirfak. It is easy to understand why it could not be 
seen with the Moon full. I suspect Steve got a much better view away 
from the city lights, but it i still not bad from West Phoenix.

Jeff



At 12:58 -0700 12/04/2007, Steve Coe wrote:
>Howdy all;
>
>I had some time on Monday night and it seemed very clear so I made a
>trip to Eagle Eye, about 70 miles from Phoenix off I-10.
>
>It was clear and a little breezy, great Milky Way and Zodiacal light
>making a giant "V" in the sky.
>
>Comet Holmes is still amazing.  A comet on the far side of the orbit of Mars
>that is easily naked eye.  If I directed my vision between the comet and the
>Double Cluster so that both got averted vision, then the comet is
>obviously brighter and larger.  It is also easily brighter than the Andromeda
>Galaxy.
>
>I think that my 8X42 binoculars are the best view.  The comet is still that
>same "jellyfish" shape with a parabolic hood and ragged edge.  It is still
>in a pretty rich star field and there are 8 stars involved within the comet,
>even at this low power.
>
>Moving up to the 6" f/8 refractor and a 35mm Panoptic really shows some
>detail.  The bizarre comet shape is in front of 24 stars that shine through
>the coma and the central "spine" is an elongated area about 80% of the
>length of the coma and elongated 4X1.  I did not see anything I could have
>definitely called the pseudonucleus.  It is a fascinating comet and well
>worth a trip out of town.
>
>Clear Skies;
>Steve Coe

-- 
Jeff Hopkins
HPO SOFT
Counting Photons
http://www.hposoft.com/Astro/astro.html
Hopkins Phoenix Observatory
7812 West Clayton Drive
Phoenix, Arizona 85033-2439 U.S.A.
(623)849-5889
(623) 247-1190 (Fax)
www.hposoft.com
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