------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2387 2007 Oct 24 09.41UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074 INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.theastronomer.org ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET 17P/HOLMES Mark Kidger relays the following: Juan Antonio Henríquez Santana (MPC J51) reports that a major outburst of Comet 17P/Holmes has apparently taken place. Observations during the night of 2007 October 23/24 show that the comet is some 7 magnitudes brighter than previously in a 10" aperture and that the comet has brightened by 0.4 magnitudes in the course of the night's observations. The outburst has been confirmed by Gustavo Muler at MPC J47. Ephemeris from the Central Bureau WWW pages: Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. m1 2007 10 24 03 53.81 +50 03.5 1.637 2.436 134.0 16.9 2007 10 25 03 52.96 +50 08.2 1.635 2.440 134.8 16.9 2007 10 26 03 52.08 +50 12.6 1.632 2.444 135.6 16.9 2007 10 27 03 51.17 +50 16.6 1.630 2.447 136.3 16.9 2007 10 28 03 50.22 +50 20.4 1.628 2.451 137.1 16.9 2007 10 29 03 49.24 +50 23.8 1.627 2.455 137.8 16.9 2007 10 30 03 48.24 +50 26.8 1.625 2.459 138.5 16.9 2007 10 31 03 47.20 +50 29.6 1.624 2.463 139.2 16.9 2007 11 01 03 46.14 +50 31.9 1.623 2.467 139.9 16.9 2007 11 02 03 45.06 +50 33.9 1.622 2.471 140.6 16.9 2007 11 03 03 43.95 +50 35.6 1.621 2.475 141.3 17.0 2007 11 04 03 42.82 +50 36.8 1.621 2.478 142.0 17.0 2007 11 05 03 41.67 +50 37.8 1.620 2.482 142.6 17.0 2007 11 06 03 40.50 +50 38.3 1.620 2.486 143.2 17.0 2007 11 07 03 39.32 +50 38.5 1.620 2.490 143.8 17.0 2007 11 08 03 38.12 +50 38.2 1.621 2.494 144.4 17.0 2007 11 09 03 36.92 +50 37.7 1.621 2.498 145.0 17.0 2007 11 10 03 35.70 +50 36.7 1.622 2.502 145.5 17.0 2007 11 11 03 34.47 +50 35.4 1.623 2.506 146.0 17.0 2007 11 12 03 33.24 +50 33.6 1.624 2.510 146.5 17.0 2007 11 13 03 32.01 +50 31.6 1.626 2.514 147.0 17.1 2007 11 14 03 30.77 +50 29.1 1.627 2.518 147.4 17.1 2007 11 15 03 29.54 +50 26.3 1.629 2.522 147.8 17.1 2007 11 16 03 28.31 +50 23.1 1.631 2.526 148.2 17.1 2007 11 17 03 27.08 +50 19.6 1.634 2.530 148.5 17.1 2007 11 18 03 25.86 +50 15.7 1.636 2.534 148.8 17.1 2007 11 19 03 24.65 +50 11.5 1.639 2.538 149.0 17.1 2007 11 20 03 23.46 +50 06.9 1.642 2.542 149.2 17.2 2007 11 21 03 22.27 +50 02.1 1.646 2.546 149.4 17.2 2007 11 22 03 21.10 +49 56.8 1.649 2.550 149.6 17.2 2007 11 23 03 19.95 +49 51.3 1.653 2.554 149.7 17.2 2007 11 24 03 18.81 +49 45.5 1.657 2.558 149.7 17.2 2007 11 25 03 17.69 +49 39.4 1.661 2.562 149.7 17.2 2007 11 26 03 16.60 +49 33.0 1.666 2.567 149.7 17.2 2007 11 27 03 15.53 +49 26.3 1.670 2.571 149.6 17.3 2007 11 28 03 14.48 +49 19.4 1.675 2.575 149.5 17.3 2007 11 29 03 13.45 +49 12.2 1.680 2.579 149.4 17.3 2007 11 30 03 12.46 +49 04.7 1.686 2.583 149.2 17.3 Guy M Hurst