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Comet 17P/Holmes 26 Oct. 2007

This unusual comet continues its major outburst (it has brightened by a factor approaching one-half million times in the past 50 hours).

 

We are viewing it almost head-on; any tail would be streaming away from us. The nucleus is the bright point in this image. The surrounding shells of gas and dust are its coma.

 

This image was made at 1,200mm focal length using a ToUCam Pro 840K webcam and a Stellarvue 152mm apochromat. It is a stack of 501 frames of an AVI file made at a shutter speed of 1/25th second, with gain and brightness set at midrange and gamma set at one quarter maximum. "Outdoor" white balance was used.

 

Scope and mount courtesy The Three Rivers Foundation for the Arts & Sciences (www.3RF.org).

 

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Uploaded on October 26, 2007
Taken on October 26, 2007