Blast from the past: Comet Holmes, 2007

[lukebl]

Who here remembers Comet Holmes in 2007?

This was one of my earliest efforts at astroimaging. The comet had an amazing outburst in December of that year, which resulted in it appearing as a large ghostly naked-eye object bigger than the moon high in the evening sky in Perseus. It was quite a sight. I really can't believe that it was nearly 12 years ago.

These single frames were captured with a Canon 400D, 30 second exposures, ISO 800, Canon 70-300mm zoom.

3rd December 2007, f/6.3 @ 300mm, Field of view 6.23 x 4.16 deg

8th December 2007, f/5.6 @ 200mm, Field of view 6.54 x 4.36 deg

[Mark at Beaufort]

Luke - Yes I remember it well. I can recall going out on 29th October 2007 (according to my log)  and seeing this hazy object and thinking what is this.  I took photos over the follow weeks but cannot find them at the moment.

It was a great outburst and an enjoyable Comet to observe.

Great photo by the way.

 

[tooth_dr]

12 years wow!  I fondly remember imaging it from my back garden patio in the city centre of Belfast.  I used my Lidl purchased LXD75 6".  Great photos, really was a cool comet.

This is my attempt, not a patch on yours though

 

[Peter Drew]

Wonderful comet, looked like a conventional "pearl" lightbulb.  The only comet I've ever imaged, videod it extensively with a 16" Sct and an integrating video camera.     😀

[Craney]

Looks like a planetary nebula..    We are overdue for a good cometary display.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I remember seeing that ghostly glow with my old Omegon 15x70 bins. It was only my third comet after Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp. Curious 4 of the first 5 comets I spotted had names starting with "H": Garrad was number 4, Hergenrother number 5. A couple of PANSTARRS, Lovejoys, and Jacques, and ISON, LINEAR and Brewington restored normality soon thereafter

[Davey-T]

I remember going out for the usual gaze around a clear sky and "discovering" it, easily visible to the naked eye and a big fuzzy blob in bin's.

Got some pic's archived somewhere 

Dave

[clarkpm4242]

Ah yes!!  Remember it well.

I got Picture of the Month in Sky @ Night magazine!  A 4 pane mosaic of the Milky Way with the comet and M31.

All by luck.  I had a trip planned to Tenerife and some images in mind.  One composition was of the highest, least light polluted part of the sky...and suddenly, just before my trip Holmes burst onto the scene 

The printed version seemed to lose loads of the fainter star though.  Wish I could find the image, you'll just have to trust me 

Cheers

Paul

[RT65CB-SWL]

I remember Comet Holmes too. I was trying to locate it with my Sony 7x50 binoculars and wondering why I was not seeing anything...

• objective lens caps off - check
• eyepiece caps off - check
• objective lenses clean - check
• eyepiece lenses clean - check

What else could be checked... moved the binoculars slightly off target and then realised I had been looking directly at it all the time... doh!

[Astroscot2]

I recall sitting around the table of the astro club I attended and mentioned the comets outburst, We all headed out into the light pollution and there it was clearly visible to the naked eye in the middle of Paisley, I followed it for months as it slowly moved through Perseus, I remember as it faded it seemed to grow.

 

Mark

 

 

Edit - just found the image I took back then.

Edited August 20, 2019 by Astroscot2