Ben Preiss
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In a very unusual astronomical event the usually very low key Comet Holmes suddenly increased its brightness almost a million-fold in a 24 hour period in what is being described as an explosive outburst. It can now be seen by the naked eye in the northeast sky below Cassiopeiae (see figure). “Skywatchers throughout the Northern Hemisphere report the newly visible Comet Holmes is a remarkable sight even under city lights. The comet, described in glowing terms by many observers, should continue to be visible to the naked eye for at least the next few weeks,” Wired Magazine wrote. “Only a couple comets each decade are this easy to see.” Astronomers are now excitedly debating just what the hell happen to Comet Holmes and why it doesn’t have much of the traditional tail.  Holmes is actually an old comet. First seen in November 1892 by British observer Edwin Holmes, it has since made 16 circuits around the Sun and should have fizzled out a long time ago. It made its closest approach to the Sun last May, yet never came closer to it than 191 million miles (307 million kilometers). The comet is actually moving away from the sun now, almost midway between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Not exactly a recipe for an outbust, since solar heating is typically what triggers comets to brighten.
But sometime late last Tuesday, Oct. 23, this comet underwent an explosive outburst and within just 24-hours increased its brightness almost a million-fold. Since then, Holmes has been putting on a unique display, looking very different than any other comet of our generation: It has yet to sprout a noticeable tail, while its head—called the coma—appears like a round, yellowish fuzz ball in the constellation Perseus, and is visible for most of the night.
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