[AZ-Observing] Background research on Comet 17P Holmes

  • From: gene lucas <geneluca@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: AZ-Observing <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:04:15 -0700

(In response to Keith Parizek's inquiry....) A good article summarizing 
the history of this comet is found in Gary Kronk’s comprehensive book, 
“Comets – A Descriptive Catalog”, ISBN 0-89490-071-4, published by 
Enslow Publishers, 1984.
(This has since been expanded into a much larger, more costly book....) 
Kronk maintains a comprehensive web site on comets with lots of 
information in various categories:
http://cometography.com/
Here’s the background on 17P Holmes:
http://cometography.com/pcomets/017p.html

An ongoing synopsis of the recent Comet Holmes outburst may be found in 
the photograph gallery at the Space Weather web pages:
http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_holmes.html
In particular, note this ineresting montage taken by Terri Smoot in New 
Mexico, showing the developments over the past few nights:
http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/holmes/30oct07/Teri-Smoot1.jpg
(These photos closely resemble the visual appearance I have noted.)

Reports of the discovery and subsequent observations of Comet Holmes 
appeared in the astronomical journals during 1892 and 1893, and again in 
1906. Here is a short summary of the early reports (not intended as an 
exhaustive list). These are all retrievable from the NASA-ADS web pages.
AJ = Astronomical Journal
MNRAS = Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Obs = The Observatory
PA = Popular Astronomy
PASP = Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
(Note: Many of the reports of observations, omitted here, simply consist 
of positional measurements.)
Discovery by Holmes, 1892 Obs Vol. 15 p. 441
Greenwich observations of Comet f 1892, Nov. 1892 MNRAS Vol. 53, p. 52
Greenwich observations, Dec. 1892 MNRAS Vol. 53, p. 52
Observations by T.W. Backhouse, Nov. 1892 Obs Vol. 15, p. 451
Seven comets visible, by Denning, Nov. 1892 Obs Vol. 15, p. 452
Photographs by Roberts, Dec. 1892 MNRAS Vol. 53, p. 65
Comet Holmes report by Campbell (Lick Obs.), 1893 PASP Vol. 5, p. 93
Spectrum of Comet Holmes by Campbell, 1893 PASP Vol. 5, p. 99
ASP Donahue Comet Medal awarded to Holmes, Jan. 1893 PASP Vol. 5, p. 42
Comet Holmes 1892 III by Boss, 1893 AJ Vol. 13, p. 82
Comets of 1892, Feb. 1893 MNRAS Vol. 53, p. 264
Observations of Comet Holmes 1892 III by Denning, March 1893 Obs Vol. 
16, p. 142
The Comets of 1906 (Holmes 1906 III), Feb. 1907 MNRAS Vol. 67, p. 273
The Comets of the Year 1906, Kreutz (Holmes 1906 f = 1906 III), 1907 PA 
Vol. 15, p. 425

I have not researched the recovery observations in 1964 by Dr. Elizabeth 
Roemer (noted earlier in a memo by Jennifier Polakis).

Gene Lucas
(17250)


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