Comet Holmes (17P/Holmes), on 14 November 2007 in the constellation of Perseus, as seen by the CHFT (Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope). By this point, t

---

Comet Holmes (17P/Holmes), on 14 November 2007 in the constellation of Perseus, as seen by the CHFT (Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope). By this point, the spherical coma had swollen to a diameter of over million kilometres (larger than the Sun), following the outburst that took place in late October. The coma is a dusty cloud shining in reflected sunlight. The coma surrounds a central nucleus that is only kilometres across. It is thought that a fragment broke away from the comet and disintegrated to produce this large bright coma that is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. Comet Holmes is a short-period comet, with an orbit of only years. It was discovered in 1892 by the British astronomer Edwin Holmes.

---

Size: 6300px × 5869px
Photo credit: © CANADA-FRANCE-HAWAII TELESCOPE/JEAN-CHARLES CUILLANDRE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1, 17p/holmes, 2007, 21st, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, bright, brightened, brightening, canada-france-hawaii, century, chft, cloud, coma, comet, cometary, comets, cosmological, cosmology, disintegrating, disintegration, dust, edwin, event, eye, glow, glowing, holmes, naked, night, november, optical, outburst, period, perseus, science, short, short-period, single, sky, solar, space, stars, system, telescope, visible