Comet 17/P Holmes through my telescope

This is a somewhat lame video of the very cool comet 17/P Holmes which got very bright in October 2007. I tried really hard to get good footage of it, and even though it's faint and fuzzy I uploaded the video anyway, because it was hard to get the footage, and I want something to show for it. :-) I mentioned in the vid that I thought I was seeing the comet's tail, but I think now that was some sort of reflection inside my 'scope. Bummer.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• phil plait
• comet
• holmes
• astronomy

[dawnrun911]

The reason we can't see the tail is because it is heading right for us. Why do you think the media is so quite about it?, ask yourself that.

[TheBadAstronomer]

Nope. The tail took a while to be seen due to various effects including geometry. Try peddling your conspiracy theories elsewhere.

[valhar2000]

Are you telling me that "the media" would not take advantage of an opportunity to scare viewers? That's all they ever do, even when there is nothing to be scared of!

[SuperDawg2010]

Haha puppy!!

[thegeckoproduction]

@dawnrun911 so any else you want to say 3 years later

[happyhead64]

this looks TOTALLY real.....VERY VERY cool!!!

[flowerpotproductions]

is it hard to learn astronomy? I wanna be in the astronomy field when i grow up...

Also i need help with this.... I was looking at stars tonight and i saw something like a small star move across the sky at a medium speed.. ( i live in TN ) .. i know its not a airplane and not a sattelite....

it moved slowly...

also what telescope do you use and what do you recommend? i want one thats cheap but also has a good apperture so i can see far away stuff... :]

thanks so much!

[GTAking01]

The north star is the largest visible =)

[supremeon1]

Dear EskilNaige, VY Canis Majoris "is the largest known star and also one of the most luminous known". The quote is from wikipedia! So, is not just a star, IT IS THE LARGEST CURRENTLY KNOWN STAR... and it's a nice name for a dog :)

[EskilNaige]

You're right, it is. Canis Major (without the "VY") though, is the name if the constellation. It's all up for interpretation, I guess :-)

[adamski895RS]

VY canis major is a star... not a constellation

[adamski895RS]

ahahah you called your dog canis major!

[EskilNaige]

Untrue. First of all, Canis Major is a constellation, not a star. You're thinking of Sirius, aka The Dog Star. This is the brightest star as seen from earth, but it's nowhere near the largest star currently known.