Surprise Comet Continues to Wow

Posted by Kelly Whitt Oct 25, 2007

It's amazing to see this comet, which has been nothing more than a spot on my planetarium software, suddenly become a sight worth reckoning with. Comet Holmes has been known since 1892 and then again in the 1960s when it was again picked up, but from then until now it was an uninteresting footnote.

Comet Holmes continues to be bright, clearly brighter than the magnitude 3.0 Delta Persei that is making up the corner of the backward L shape that Delta, Mirfak and the bright Comet Holmes is creating.

There is still no tail noticeable to anyone glancing with the naked eye, so its presence is only revealed to those who are familiar with the constellation Perseus or who have heard the news of the new cometary phenomenon.

It is interesting to wonder what the ancient would have seen in this new visitor. Because of its lack of a tail, it's easy to think that they would view this as a "guest star" or a nova, instead of the comet that it is. Maybe other reports of nova from the past were not nova at all, but the sudden eruption of comets, temporarily revealing their presence before once again fading into the background.