I set the alarm for 4:00am last night (11/12/2007) and spent a view minutes watching 17P from the Aves through a 15mm Christmas refractor. No images taken. Between storm fronts, the air was free of extinction and clouds. Light pollution was much less than usual. 17P is morphing from its jellyfish shape into the "trilobyte" shape seen in EE Barnard's Plate 105. http://www.skepticus.com/images/Holmes%20Plate105s.jpg
From the light polluted city, an averted image distortion can be seen around the coma, which I interpreted as the outer gas halo - the green fringe in the New Mexico image that Debbie posted about.
http://www.zianet.com/rrichins/HolmesBig.htm No visual sign of the ion tail seen in high contrast images. At 4:30am, Venus rose over the Wastach and is extraordinarily brillant. Almost hurts to look at it _:) - Kurt _______________________________________________ Sent via CSolutions - http://www.csolutions.net