No doubt you have heard the buzz about Comet Holmes, the obscure comet that has surprised EVERYONE in the planetary astronomy community, including our own Schuele Planetarium Director, Jay Reynolds. This comet suddenly became a million times brighter last week, making it visible to the naked eye. Jay, who took the photos and created the sky chart posted here, says before Holmes brightened, it could not be seen even with a very large telescope.
Here are Jay's instructions for spotting Comet Holmes in the night sky over Northe
ast Ohio:
"At 9:00pm, Look to the North Eastern sky, you should see a bright star rising, that is NOT the comet, it is the star Capella. Directly above Capella, you may see another noticeable, less dim star, the comet will be in that area and appear as a fuzzy star. Grab ANY type of Binoculars and sweep in that area, you won't miss it."
ast Ohio:"At 9:00pm, Look to the North Eastern sky, you should see a bright star rising, that is NOT the comet, it is the star Capella. Directly above Capella, you may see another noticeable, less dim star, the comet will be in that area and appear as a fuzzy star. Grab ANY type of Binoculars and sweep in that area, you won't miss it."
You'll want to take advantage of the first clear night we get to get a look at Holmes. The comet could fade in a matter of days or stay bright for weeks! Astronomers have not yet discovered the reason this comet suddenly burst into high wattage on the sky scene. Stay tuned as the mystery of Comet Holmes unfolds!
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