Comet Holmes? (I think)

[camisha]

Hi there - I have a couple of images of what I now believe to be Comet Holmes that I saw at dawn on about 16 November 2007. The images were only taken with my phone as by the time I came inside to get a camera and put new batteries in it, the comet wasn't as visible.
I stumbled across your site trying to find out exactly what I saw that morning. I've now blown up the images and would like to know how to post them.
Ok - I've just seen the attach button so here goes.
Enjoy!
37266

37267

37269

37270

[Karlsson]

Camisha -

Interesting pictures indeed - but it is very unlikely that we're looking at Comet 17P/Holmes :(. By the looks of it the photos were taken around 6:00 in an ESE direction, assuming that it was near Melbourne...

On 16 November Holmes set at around 2:45 in the North - and it never rose any higher than 2°. This would have made it a real stretch to see it so low over the horizon, given that it is now a a rather fuzzy faint object...

While there were some comets around that area at the time I reckon they were all too faint to be seen at sunrise.

A distant aircraft perhaps?

[erick]

Hi camisha and welcome!

Can you describe exactly what you saw? Did the light across in the sky.

Also what was the time? It looks like about 15-20 minutes before dawn.

And you are looking almost East from Melbourne?

Probably not Comet Holmes, but rather a satellite - we can try to work out which one. Might even be an aeroplane reflecting the sunlight. Still, we can check out where the comet was at that time.

Eric :)

[CoombellKid]

Well I can tell you one thing it isn't Holmes, as Holmes is in the north and
moving very slowly and has almost zero tail. Looks more like con-trails from
an aircraft. Or maybe space junk burning up on re-entry or even an Iridium flare
but I'm not convenced of the later either

regards,CS

[erick]

Just checked, Venus would have been bright in the sky, but north of the sunrise. It also wouldn't have produced a streak of light. So something moving in the sky, either reflecting sunlight, or perhaps something burning up in re-entry.

I'm interested in why a mobile phone camera shows a streak. Would a mobile phone camera take a long exposure? I don't think so, and the focus of the clouds and trees does not suggest a long exposure hand-held photo. Hence it really is a streak in the sky - that suggests a burning trail rather than a moving object reflecting light?

Camisha, how quickly did you get the four photos? I see you did zoom in between them.

[Outbackmanyep]

Looks interesting, it's possibly not a trailed planet Ie: Venus, definitely NOT a comet, could be a plane although it5 is moving fast, or could be a vapour trail, the angle of the sunlight has convinced me its a reflection of sunlight off vapour trails left by aircraft, they do look comet like as i have seen heaps from my location!

Camisha, how quickly did this move? Was it easily seen to be moving with naked eye?

[[1ponders]]

Where was the international space station at that time?