On October 24th, periodic Comet Holmes brightened dramatically — by nearly a million times — virtually overnight. For no apparent reason, the comet erupted from a very dim magnitude 17 to about magnitude 2½. Within a day its starlike nucleus had expanded into a perfectly round, bright little disk visible in binoculars and telescopes. It looked like no comet ever seen.

Its startling outburst, however, has a precedent. The comet was also in a major eruption 115 years ago, in November 1892, when English amateur Edwin Holmes was the first to spot it. It reached 4th or 5th magnitude, faded in the following weeks, and then underwent a second eruption 2½ months after the first.

This web page gives images obtained in October / November 2007 with a LX200 8" SCT / 10" SN using a Canon 350D DSLR and also wide field views of the comet .

First image of comet obtained on October 28th (Canon 350D 8 sec exposure)

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (25 sec exposure) 28/10/07

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (13 sec exposure) 28/10/07

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (30 sec exposure) 30/10/07 . The coma has definitely expanded relative to the 28th oct image .

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (53 sec exposure) 02/11/07 . The coma has expanded relative to the Oct 30th image .

Image obtained with LXD75 10" Schmidt Newtonian/ canon 350D DSLR (15 sec exposure- no filter) 02/11/07 .The field of view of the LXD75 is larger than the LX200 .

Image obtained with LXD75 10" Schmidt Newtonian/ canon 350D DSLR (58 sec exposure- filter) 02/11/07

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (62 sec exposure) 02/11/07 . The coma has expanded relative to the Oct 30th image .

Image obtained with Canon 350D DSLR (155mm lens setting - 20 sec exposure) 02/11/07 . The Perseus star cluster is visible at top of image Comet has a planetary appearance unlike comets in general .

Image obtained with Canon 350D DSLR (300mm lens setting - 20 sec exposure) 02/11/07 . Taken at same time as previous image .

Image obtained with LXD75 10" Schmidt Newtonian/ canon 350D DSLR (33 sec exposure- no filter) 02/11/07 .The central part of the comet is over-exposed - not showing the nucleus - but contours of decreasing brightness can be seen in the coma .

Image obtained with LXD75 10" Schmidt Newtonian/ canon 350D DSLR (15 sec exposure- no filter) 02/11/07 .The pseuodo-nucleus can now be seen clearly , together with shells of material within the coma .

Image obtained with LXD75 10" Schmidt Newtonian/ canon 350D DSLR (10 sec exposure- no filter) 02/11/07 .The pseuodo-nucleus is still seen clearly at this low exposure time and the brightness variation through the coma . .

Image obtained with LXD75 10" Schmidt Newtonian/ canon 350D DSLR (5 sec exposure- no filter) 02/11/07 .The detail is even clearly seen at this ver low exposure time .

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (stack of two 30 sec exposures) 03/11/07 . The coma has expanded relative to the Nov 2nd image .

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (stack of four 30 sec exposures) 04/11/07 . The coma has expanded relative to the Nov 3rd image .

Image obtained with Canon 350D DSLR (170mm lens setting - 30 sec exposure) 02/11/07 . Taken at same time as previous image .

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (stack of four 50 sec exposures) 06/11/07 . The coma has expanded relative to the Nov 4th image .

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (stack of three 60-70 sec exposures) 06/11/07 (same time as previos image)

Comet Holmes 17P approaching Mirfak and Perseus star cluster ( stack of 20 / 30 / 65 sec exposures)

Canon 350D(300mm) /LXD 75 mount ----------11/11/07

Image obtained with 8" SCT / Canon 350D - the coma almost extends across the full width of the FOV .

stack of 4 x 30 sec exposures 11/11/07

Image obtained with 8" SCT / Canon 350D - the coma almost extends across the full width of the FOV .(11/11/07)

The field of view is seen to be much smaller than for the LX200 8" SCT

Comet Holmes 17P approaching Mirfak and Perseus star cluster ( stack of 20 / 30 sec exposures) . The comet has moved relative to the previous wide field image Canon 350D 300mm/ LXD75( 12/11/07)

Comet Holmes 17P with Mirfak and Perseus star cluster ( stack of 30 / 64 sec exposures) . The comet has moved relative to the previous wide field image Canon 350D 300mm/ LXD75( 19/11/07)

Comet Holmes 17P with Mirfak and Perseus star cluster ( stack of 3 x 30 sec exposures) . The image was taken with LXD75 10" Schmidt Newtonian (prime focus) with LPR filter on the Canon 350D at prime focus (20/11/07)

Image obtained with LX200 8" SCT / canon 350D DSLR (stack of three 60 sec exposures) 08/11/07 . The coma has expanded relative to the Nov 6th image .