Now showing: Comet show in Metro

ANGELES CITY - Filipino astronomers urged laymen to view the periodic Comet Holmes, preferably around 10 every night in the country’s northeastern skies, because it is “a once in a lifetime experience.”

Comet Holmes, described as “stunning and amazing” by aspiring astronomists, can be viewed either with the naked eye or with the aid of  a telescope.

“The comet can now be seen in Metro Manila even without the aid of a telescope. It can be best seen at about 10 p.m. Look up to the sky a little to the left where you’d see a pattern of stars that form the letter W which is the Cassiopeia constellation and then to the right of this is the triangle-shaped Perseus constellation where Comet Holmes is at the bottom left,” said Dr. Armand Lee, president of the Rizal Technological University Astronomy Students Association.

Lee said Comet Holmes unexpectedly burst and brightened dramatically overnight last Oct. 24, assuming one-fourth of the size of the moon.

Comet Holmes, Lee said, would be like a furry whitish ball when viewed with the naked eye and yellowish when viewed from a telescope.

“It’s coming nearer to the orbit of Mars, but don’t worry, it’s not about to hit the earth,” Lee said.

Lee has taken photos of the comet which has been described in the website skyandtelescope.com as “the weirdest new object to appear in the sky.” One of his photos, taken last Oct. 28,  has been featured in spaceweather.com.

Lee said the comet was recorded to have also erupted some 115 years ago in November 1892, as observed by Edwin Holmes after whom the comet was named.

“The comet, which follows an unusual orbit between Mars and Jupiter, is a million times brighter than normal,” the Sky and Telescope Magazine said in its recent  issue.

Lee said, however, that Comet Holmes could not have been the “star of Bethlehem” that guided the biblical three wise men to the newly born Jesus on the first Christmas.

The website spacewatch.com said at least four theories have been advanced to explain the star of Bethlehem from a purely astronomical viewpoint, including the theory that it was actually a comet.

“It is not impossible to conceive that a comet with a bright star-like head and long gossamer tail pointing like some cosmic finger toward the horizon could have drawn the Magi to Bethlehem,” the website said, adding, however, that Bethlehem’s star could also be a nova or supernova outburst or a new star blazing into existence and later disappearing without a trace.

Lee said he agreed with the theory that the Bethlehem star was rather some kind of a planetary manifestation.