Some fierce winds tried to blow our telescope off of the deck earlier this year and the resulting crash broke a few parts. I replaced the main chunk (some kind of non-weldable pot metal) and have things limping along, but the motor mounts for tracking stars still need to be mounted some how. Which is a long way of saying that I didn't have any tracking when I took this shot of Comet Holmes last night, and thus the small star trail.

Comet Holmes was just an average comet: clocking in at work each day, making the long commute home, spending time with the kids before heading off to the den for a good book and some cheese and crackers before turning in. And then one day, or perhaps it was night, Holmes sort of blew his top and became the brightest comet to grace our night sky.

If you'd like to join the rest of us gawking and staring at poor Mister Holmes fuming and outgassing, here are directions to his place.