Comet Holmes' Coma Expands
			
		
		
			Eric Allen Observatoire du Cégep de Trois-Rivières
		
		Go outside tonight and see 
Comet Holmes.
No binoculars or telescopes are needed -- just 
curiosity and a 
sky map.  
Last week, 
Comet 17P/Holmes underwent an 
unusual outburst that vaulted it unexpectedly from obscurity into 
one of the brightest comets in recent years.
Sky enthusiasts 
from the northern hemisphere have been following the 
comet's 
progress closely. 
In
this animation recorded from
Quebec, 
Canada, the 
coma of 
Comet Holmes is seen noticeably expanding over the past few days.  
Jupiter has been placed artificially nearby to 
allow for a comparison of 
angular sizes
and scaled to the size it would appear at the current location of 
Comet Holmes.
How Comet Holmes will further evolve is unknown, 
with one possibility being that the expanding gas cloud that started from its 
recent outburst will slowly disperse and fade.