A new buzz in the astronosphere. In the night between October 23 and 24, comet P/17 Holmes, a small little comet of magnitude 17, suddenly became extremely bright, multiplying its brightness by a factor of 1 million! The comet now has a magnitude of 2.7 . The causes are still unknown, however astronomers have reported that it was likely that the comet had released jets of particles from deep inside the core. Astronomers, by studying the spectra of these particles, could discover one of the solar system’s biggest mystery: the composition of a comet. Astronomers have reported that it looked like a Yellow Star. You can easily observe it from your backyard with your unaided eyes, and you’ll see it even better with even the smallest pair of binoculars. Located in Constellation Perseus, near Cassiopeia, you will spot it with no difficulty, even in urban areas.

Mision Rosetta, by ESA, will, in 2014, land on a comet and dig inside the comet to try and find out more about it. But until then, excited amateur astronomers will observe the comet once more in 2013 (P/17 Holmes has an orbital period of 6.8 years).
Till then,
Clement