Comet Holmes remains easily visible to the naked eye, despite losing a piece of itself last night.
Cloudy skies have kept me from seeing Comet Holmes for a while, but tonight a clearing allowed me another glimpse.
It is still easy to spot without binoculars or a telescope, although it is no longer as bright as Delta Persei. It is also no longer making the curve of a J shape in Perseus. It is now best described as the fuzzball approaching the brightest star in Perseus (Mirfak).
Last night astrophotographers caught a piece of Comet Holmes as it blew away from the nucleus. Some reports call this Holmes' tail detaching, although it never had much of a tail to begin with. It remains what it has been since it suddenly came into view: a big blob of light.
If you've never seen a comet, you should make the effort to catch this easy one. Find the W lying on its side in the northeast. This W is Cassiopeia. Look at the chain of stars that dangles downward toward the horizon (but before the next really bright star - your target constellation Perseus is in between this bright star and Cassiopeia). The brightest star in the chain is Mirfak, and the fuzzy ball next to it is the comet. If you can't see it right away, give your eyes a little bit of time to adapt to the darkness. You'll be amazed how many more stars pop out of the darkness after waiting five to ten minutes.
Although this comet does not have a traditional tail, it's still an excellent specimen.
