Quite unexpectedly, an icy ball slowly falling towards the inner solar system brightened significantly last week. Comet Holmes is about 150 million miles away — beyond the orbit of Mars — and approaching.
Comet Holmes presents itself in the northeast soon after dark falls. Look for a fuzzy, moderately bright star about 1/2 way between the bright twinkling Capella (which is just above the horizon) and the familiar "w" of the constellation Cassiopeia. The "w" is high in the northeast, about 1/2 way between the horizon and directly overhead.
It is best to view the comet from a relatively dark area and before the moon rises. At 8 pm each night this week, the moon will not be above the horizon, so this is a good time to have a look.
Over the next few weeks the comet drifts past the Alpha Persei Association (a group of stars spread around Alpha Persei, the moderately bright star in the area). Even though, Holmes is visible to the unaided eye, use binoculars for a much better view, especially as it passes the glittering stars of the Association.
Such is our view from Earth...
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