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Reports from Geisei Observatory <September 11, 2009>


8P/Tuttle, 17P/Holmes, C/2006 W3 (Christensen), and C/2009 E1 (Itagaki)

    These are the observations made by the 60cm reflector, which had been used until the year before. All the observations made by the 60cm will be provided here.
    17P/Holmes (the photograph below) displayed incredible kaleidoscopic appearances and still stands out in our memory. The coma continued to expand and reached 4 degrees in diameter, far larger than the sun. Then it gradually became diffused and faded, and finally disappeared. What would it look like when it returns next?
    The photograph was taken by the now decommissioned 60cm f/3.5 reflector. In late October 2007, when the comet brightened explosively, its coma was beautifully golden and two weeks later it transformed to magnificent blue.
    Holmes, the discover of this comet, is a Londoner. Coincidentally, Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's mystery stories was an extraordinary detective solving mysteries in and around London.

Comet Holmes
10-minute exposure on ISO 400 film
23:00, November 29, 2007 (J.S.T.)

60cm f/3.5 reflector
Copyright (c) 2007 T. Seki, Geisei Observatory.


0008P          2007 12 30.41632 01 30 05.15 +32 39 37.8          11.2 N      372

0017P          2007 11 09.62118 03 36 09.56 +50 37 06.8          12.4 N      372
0017P          2007 11 12.59896 03 32 30.25 +50 32 28.4          12.0 N      372
0017P          2007 12 30.42708 02 58 25.19 +44 19 59.8          13.6 N      372

    CK06W030   2009 06 25.70191 22 14 46.53 +35 17 18.0          13.3 N      372

    CK09E010   2009 06 25.67711 21 49 23.76 +24 27 50.6          18.0 T      372
    CK09E010   2009 08 13.48368 18 16 49.84 -09 18 04.5          18.5 T      372
Copyright (C) 2009 Tsutomu Seki.