Comments on: First Watson, Now Holmes http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:01:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Comets and Meteors for the New Year - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-102383 Comets and Meteors for the New Year - Asymptotia Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:24:26 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-102383 [...] On Space.com, Joe Rao talks about comet Tuttle’s return, and reminds us that comet Holmes (see here and here) is still worth a look. In fact, he gives a little bit of history of Tuttle, which is worth a read. [...] [...] On Space.com, Joe Rao talks about comet Tuttle’s return, and reminds us that comet Holmes (see here and here) is still worth a look. In fact, he gives a little bit of history of Tuttle, which is worth a read. [...]

]]> By: Snowball! - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-95825 Snowball! - Asymptotia Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:30:49 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-95825 [...] Remember comet Holmes? [...] [...] Remember comet Holmes? [...]

]]> By: zooped.org » Blog Archive » Comet 17/P Holmes http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-88242 zooped.org » Blog Archive » Comet 17/P Holmes Sat, 10 Nov 2007 22:13:42 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-88242 [...] Comet Holmes, not in my skylight,but photographed at 0800 UT on October 30, 2007 at Costa Mesa, California - via Wikipedia.Now, the net has been full of reports about comet Holmes these last days. However, I hadn’t really taken note of it - but tonight, the sky above Frankfurt was clear, just a bit misty, bright stars and constellations are clearly visible, and Perseus was close to the zenith - so I looked out of the skylight, and there was comet Holmes: A grey blob to the naked eye, and a quite impressive grey blob in Sabine’s grandfather’s old binoculars! There is no tail yet, but the blob has some structure, and the comet is bigger than Halley at it’s return in 1985/86.You can find the comet roughly halfway between the bright star Capella in the northern sky and the W of Cassiopeia - have a look at the sky map from heavens above, for example. It’s impressive! “I asked you to explain it to me, not to talk science!” ~ Denzel Washington, Deja Vu [...] [...] Comet Holmes, not in my skylight,but photographed at 0800 UT on October 30, 2007 at Costa Mesa, California - via Wikipedia.Now, the net has been full of reports about comet Holmes these last days. However, I hadn’t really taken note of it - but tonight, the sky above Frankfurt was clear, just a bit misty, bright stars and constellations are clearly visible, and Perseus was close to the zenith - so I looked out of the skylight, and there was comet Holmes: A grey blob to the naked eye, and a quite impressive grey blob in Sabine’s grandfather’s old binoculars! There is no tail yet, but the blob has some structure, and the comet is bigger than Halley at it’s return in 1985/86.You can find the comet roughly halfway between the bright star Capella in the northern sky and the W of Cassiopeia - have a look at the sky map from heavens above, for example. It’s impressive! “I asked you to explain it to me, not to talk science!” ~ Denzel Washington, Deja Vu [...]

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85652 Clifford Tue, 30 Oct 2007 01:15:16 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85652 Yes... that was my thought too.. It broke cover for some reason.... ;-) -cvj Yes… that was my thought too.. It broke cover for some reason…. ;-)

-cvj

]]> By: Yvette http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85642 Yvette Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:59:52 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85642 Hehe, several of my friends actually suggested that perhaps the spaceship is just firing its thrusters already. :) It'd make more sense than the complete mystery it is now, though I heard someone saying it might be sinkholes or some such. Hehe, several of my friends actually suggested that perhaps the spaceship is just firing its thrusters already. :) It’d make more sense than the complete mystery it is now, though I heard someone saying it might be sinkholes or some such.

]]> By: astromcnaught http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85590 astromcnaught Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:58:45 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85590 Yippee, I've seen it and what a beautiful thing it is. A golden apple of the sun. regards, PS. The latest issue of Symmetry Magazine is online with the name that particle results. Not so much as a mention for my Flinton's. Sniff. PPS. If it's a spaceship there's a 50% chance it's heading the other way :) Yippee, I’ve seen it and what a beautiful thing it is. A golden apple of the sun.

regards,

PS. The latest issue of Symmetry Magazine is online with the name that particle results. Not so much as a mention for my Flinton’s. Sniff.

PPS. If it’s a spaceship there’s a 50% chance it’s heading the other way :)

]]> By: IrrationalPoint http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85506 IrrationalPoint Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:27:01 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85506 Fair enough. <i>"Anyway, Holmes is so much more interesting, with all it’s unusual behaviour… Hey! - maybe it’s a spaceship that’s been waiting for a long time to go active!! So there’s another reason to keep an eye on it!"</i> Yes indeed :) --IP Fair enough.

“Anyway, Holmes is so much more interesting, with all it’s unusual behaviour… Hey! - maybe it’s a spaceship that’s been waiting for a long time to go active!! So there’s another reason to keep an eye on it!”

Yes indeed :)

–IP

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85488 Clifford Mon, 29 Oct 2007 05:54:35 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85488 My take? I decided to pass on blogging about it. It's such a tired discussion, largely filled with ignorance, preconceptions and hatred, which I was not interested in taking part in for the umpteenth time - and anyone who has had any passing acquaintance with Watson is not at all surprised about him saying such things. Old news. Just let him retire and fade away into the noise. I wrote nothing about it since there are hundreds of energetic and thoughtful responses to read, and no shortage of coverage - I did not think I could add anything to it this time. Anyway, Holmes is so much more interesting, with all it's unusual behaviour... Hey! - maybe it's a spaceship that's been waiting for a long time to go active!! So there's another reason to keep an eye on it! ;-) Cheers, -cvj My take? I decided to pass on blogging about it. It’s such a tired discussion, largely filled with ignorance, preconceptions and hatred, which I was not interested in taking part in for the umpteenth time - and anyone who has had any passing acquaintance with Watson is not at all surprised about him saying such things. Old news. Just let him retire and fade away into the noise. I wrote nothing about it since there are hundreds of energetic and thoughtful responses to read, and no shortage of coverage - I did not think I could add anything to it this time.

Anyway, Holmes is so much more interesting, with all it’s unusual behaviour… Hey! - maybe it’s a spaceship that’s been waiting for a long time to go active!! So there’s another reason to keep an eye on it! ;-)

Cheers,

-cvj

]]> By: IrrationalPoint http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85427 IrrationalPoint Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:49:35 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85427 I got that. It was welcome non-Watson-ness is all I meant. (Although I'd be interested in your take on that issue too.) Cheers, IP I got that. It was welcome non-Watson-ness is all I meant. (Although I’d be interested in your take on that issue too.)

Cheers,
IP

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85424 Clifford Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:41:02 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85424 It was not an accidentally chosen title. -cvj It was not an accidentally chosen title.

-cvj

]]> By: IrrationalPoint http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85413 IrrationalPoint Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:37:29 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-85413 Too many city lights to see anything from my wee flat! I'll keep looking though. (When I first saw the post title, I thought this was going to be a lengthy allegory about the Watson mess. Astral activity cheered me up no end. :) ) Cheers IP Too many city lights to see anything from my wee flat! I’ll keep looking though.

(When I first saw the post title, I thought this was going to be a lengthy allegory about the Watson mess. Astral activity cheered me up no end. :) )

Cheers
IP

]]> By: astromcnaught http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-84779 astromcnaught Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:47:36 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-84779 Unremitting nimbo stratus here in S. England. How very frustrating. Still, it's nice to read up-to-the-minute blogs about it so at least some of the excitement shines through. I wonder what the record for the furthest away naked eye comet is? This one cannot be too far off it. Hale Bopp was fainter at much the same distance on its inward leg, as far as I can tell after 2 minutes of research, and Hale Bopp was a massive comet indeed. cheers, Unremitting nimbo stratus here in S. England. How very frustrating. Still, it’s nice to read up-to-the-minute blogs about it so at least some of the excitement shines through.

I wonder what the record for the furthest away naked eye comet is? This one cannot be too far off it. Hale Bopp was fainter at much the same distance on its inward leg, as far as I can tell after 2 minutes of research, and Hale Bopp was a massive comet indeed.

cheers,

]]> By: Amara http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-84776 Amara Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:36:25 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-84776 I'm intrigued by its behavior. It's not outgassing like a normal comet, it's not close to perihelion anyway, and this behavior has been seen before, so my bright idea of a shock like a CME having some role falls flat too. Now I wonder if this object could be a perturbed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur_(planetoid)" rel="nofollow">centaur</a> or if the nucleus has deep (deeper than usual) striations of easily sublimated ice (methane?) that became exposed... I wish I had time and resources now to follow this..:-( I’m intrigued by its behavior. It’s not outgassing like a normal comet, it’s not close to perihelion anyway, and this behavior has been seen before, so my bright idea of a shock like a CME having some role falls flat too. Now I wonder if this object could be a perturbed centaur or if the nucleus has deep (deeper than usual) striations of easily sublimated ice (methane?) that became exposed… I wish I had time and resources now to follow this..:-(

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-84766 Clifford Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:26:23 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-84766 Thanks Yvette! -cvj Thanks Yvette!

-cvj

]]> By: Yvette http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-84761 Yvette Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:39:28 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/10/25/first-watson-now-holmes/#comment-84761 Went out to see it tonight. WOW! It's visible from downtown Cleveland looking exactly like a bright star, as it has no visible tail even through the telescope. Through the scope, it looks like a compact planetary nebula which is very, very yellow, which is awesome too because it's totally un-cometlike in my opinion. :D A general writeup and even a few pictures can be found <a href="http://thechocolatefish.blogspot.com/2007/10/comet-holmes-pictures.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> for anybody interested... In conclusion, you should all go see it. Though my bet is that we'll be hearing about this visitor for a long time- I looked it up, and this guy's closest approach to the sun isn't until December 1st or so. Went out to see it tonight. WOW! It’s visible from downtown Cleveland looking exactly like a bright star, as it has no visible tail even through the telescope. Through the scope, it looks like a compact planetary nebula which is very, very yellow, which is awesome too because it’s totally un-cometlike in my opinion. :D A general writeup and even a few pictures can be found here for anybody interested…

In conclusion, you should all go see it. Though my bet is that we’ll be hearing about this visitor for a long time- I looked it up, and this guy’s closest approach to the sun isn’t until December 1st or so.

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