Photo: Zoltan Deak, Bucharest

Do you see the stars?
Watch a superb comet
with a stellar aspect,
close to Delta Persei.

-Kosa-Kiss Attila, Salonta-


Photo: Valentin Grigore, Targoviste

The comet is finely visible,
practically another star
in the constellation of Perseus.

I hope it will not disappear
after this outburst,
but it will opt
for a tail…

-Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-


Photo: Alex(andru) Conu, Bucharest

It is the most stellar comet
I ever saw.
It rather has an aspect
of nova…

-Alex(andru) Conu, Bucharest-


Photo: Adrian Bruno Sonka, Bucharest

ASTRAL EXPLOSION

There was a bizarre, incredible silence
over Dejhagascar.
Not even the zephyr, not even the thought
frisked through the heights.
The Earth, deadened under
the sediments of the late autumn.
Only the imperceptible pulse,
only the neurons sputtered
into the twilight zodiac.
Suddenly, the explosion of a
deep, amazing, assumed tension.
Suddenly, the fecund light.

After long sublimations,
a fantastic appearance:
the ASTROPOEM.

-Dominic Diamant, Bucharest-


Photo: Catalin Fus, Alexandria


Photo: Catalin Fus, Alexandria

Through the binocular,
Comet Holmes shows like
an unsolved globular cluster.

-Felician Ursache, Sfantu Gheorghe-


Photo: Eugen Florin Marc, Targu Mures


Photo: Eugen Florin Marc, Targu Mures

What a fine gift!
Comet Holmes is almost spherical,
it tends to perfection.

-Virgil Chiriac, Brasov-


Photo: Valentin Grigore, Targoviste

Threads of autumn -
a comet is embroidered
on the Moon’s veil

-Iulian Olaru, Cernavoda-


Photo: Mircea Radutiu, Bucharest

I would compare Comet Holmes
with a kiwi.

And it’s incredible:
now the constellation is different,
a Perseus-Holmes hybrid.

-Sorin Hotea, Sighet-


Drawing: Alex(andru) Conu, Bucharest

In comparison with other comets,
Holmes is more interesting
to superior powers.

A well-shaped stellar nucleus,
surrounded by the first stratum of the mane
like a fan

… and a round mane.

-Alex(andru) Conu, Bucharest-


Photo: Catalin Mitu, Bucharest

In the meantime,
I think that the stellar aspect
of Comet Holmes
has become more planetary.

-Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-


Drawing: Mihai Rusie, Bucharest

For the first time
I can watch a comet that erupts
on its road to the aphelion…

-Mihai Rusie, Bucharest-


Photo: Adrian Bruno Sonka, Bucharest

Comet Holmes -
ingredients of a
charming astronomical dream

-Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele

The greatest cometary mane
I ever saw. I am poor
in words.

-Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-


Drawing: Sorin Hotea

I have observed a star,
HD23676,
just in the mane of the comet!

-Sorin Hotea, Sapanta-


Photo: Catalin Mitu, Bucharest

This comet is
a fascinating object!
Day after day it is greater!

-Sorin Hotea, Sighet-


Photo: Valentin Grigore, Targoviste

17P/Holmes
an urban comet
a luxurious ball

-Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-


Photo: Catalin Fus, Alexandria

Comet Holes has awakened again
my old interest for the night sky
before being gulped
by a few hungry clouds.

-Ruxandra Toma, Magurele-


Photo: Valentin Grigore, Targoviste

Comet Holmes,
Moon-Mars conjunction,
only those who can see this
can understand

-Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele

There was a famous literary hero,
Detective Holmes, a real star,
Enigmatical, intelligent and brave,
Who was following dark people.

But now there is an enigmatical comet
With a stellar aspect and a discreet tail,
Which also is named Holmes (what a hit!)
And luminous people are following it.

-Zigmund Tauberg, Bucharest-


Photo: Mircea Radutiu, Bucharest

If one week ago
we saw Comet Holmes as a small body
seeming like a planetary nebula,
now it has impressive dimensions.

Thanks to the star HD23104
(placed at its edge)
I’ve calculated the diameter of the dust mane:
11’40”.

That means over 800000 kilometers.
That means it is almost comparable
with the Sun’ diameter (1400000 kilometers).
That means: incredible!

-Sorin Hotea, Sighet-


Photo: Alin Tolea, Baltimore (U.S.A)

Hello!
Here is Comet Holmes over Baltimore.
Very beautiful,
and fascinating through any instrument.
A fine surprise for those who didn’t see
Hyakutake, Halle-Bopp, McNaught…

-Alin Tolea, a Romanianman in U.S.A.-


Photo: Radu Gherase, Bucharest

Hello!
Here is Comet Holmes over the inferno
named Bucharest.
Clear skies and enjoy it.

-Radu Gherase, Bucharest-


Photo: Robert Lebek (Germany)

Hello!
Here is Comet Holmes over Germany.
Fine result.
I have earned this photo,
but you see,
my stars are not perfectly round,
they are prolonged a little…

-Robert Lebek, a Romanianman in Germany-


Photo: Simona Vaduvescu, Hilo (Hawaii)

Hello!
Here is the comet over Hilo,
where we rarely catch clear skies.
I showed my picture even
to the guardian of my block of flats…

-Simona Vaduvescu, a Romanian lady in Hawaii-


Photo: Catalin Mitu, Bucharest

The comet’s diameter
is enormous. Soon it will go
out of frame…

-Catalin Mitu, Bucharest-


Photo: Bogdan Dinicutu, Bucharest

It seems like
the comet’s “internal mane” is in fact
a tail seen from face…

-Alin Tolea, a Romanianman in U.S.A.-


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele

Look,
the ionic tail
can be observed…

-Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele-


Photo: Mihai Falcoianu, Bucharest


Photo: Mircea Radutiu, Bucharest


Photo: Catalin Fus, Alexandria

Hello from Auckland.
Delight your souls with this
unexpected cosmic jewel.
I regret we cannot see it here
(maybe we were too lucky with Comet McNaught),
but I am happy for you.

-Danut Ionescu, a Romanianman in New Zealand-







Comet Medusa
slowly floats -
November sky

-Diana Bodea, Timisoara-


Image: Mihai Petrache, Constanta

Last night
I could surprise Comet Holmes.
It allowed to be photographed
even by a web camera…

-Mihai Petrache, Constanta-


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele

Oh, Comet Holmes
right in the heart
of Perseus!

-Alin Tolea, a Romanianman in U.S.A.-


Photo: Catalin Mitu


Photo: Catalin Mitu


Photo: Catalin Mitu

What a comfortable comet!
I come from my job
and eat,
and comet Holmes is ready
to be photographed.
I’d like so easy astronomy
all the time…

-Catalin Mitu, Bucharest-


Photo: Valentin Grigore, Targoviste

I’ve tried to surprise Comet Holmes
in various hypostases
(even near Dracula’s Tower),
as it is possible for a life in town.

-Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-


Photo: Dan Mitrut, Corbasca

Rural comet -
a bead from Perseus’ broken pocket
lost in a sky
with a smile of snow

-Dan Mitrut, Corbasca-


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele


Image: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele

Comet Holmes’s broken tail…
Comet Homes near the star Mirphak…
Clear skies
and
“focus on Homes”!

-Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele-


Photo: Valentin Grigore, Targoviste


Photo: Mircea Radutiu, Bucharest


Photo: Catalin Fus, Alexandria

The sky watches the stars
with wings broken by a comet -
powder filtered by fire,
wakefulness for mortals…

The thought watches beyond the verse,
observing a comet in the glassy sky,
catching its tail through the heavenly window
evening after evening, hour after hour…
Rumor, breeze, halt, power…

-Irina Cristescu, Bucharest-


Photo: Florian Ispas, Targoviste

I could see Comet Holmes
somewhere under Cassiopeia,
when the clouds
were merciful.

-Florian Ispas, Targoviste-


Photo: Catalin Mitu, Bucharest

The nucleus
and the surface of the mane
are paler.
Now Comet Holmes is more beautiful
through the binocular
than through the telescope,
and the approach of the star Mirphak
accents this thing…

-Catalin Mitu, Bucharest-


Photo: Mihai Curtasu, Bucharest

Coming from my processing “factory”,
I present a photo with Comet Holmes,
after a glorious guidance work.

-Mihai Curtasu, Bucharest-


Photo: Adrian Bruno Sonka, Bucharest

Comet Holmes watched all around
and saw a supernova exploding,
the Earth turning round the Sun,
a meteor catching fire in the terrestrial atmosphere…

She thought better and,
remarking the star Mirphak in the constellation Perseus,
made a party full of lights,
looking at the curious eyes of the earthlings,
and at their telescopes…

-Ion(ut) Moraru, Bucharest-


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele

The shape of Comet Holmes
has ceased to be quite spherical.
Oh you solar wind…

-Sorin Hotea, Sighet-


Photo: Octavian Stanescu, Timisoara

It’s good that some people,
on frightening temperatures of -10 degrees,
still look at Comet Holmes,
which has become normal in our skies…

-Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele-


Photo: Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele

An indiscreet comet,
seeming like a starlet,
passes coquettish, so let’s admire her
through the lunette.

Oh, Perseus’ Kingdom,
he who was born and swung by Danae,
admired by Athens
and loved by Andromeda…

But don’t worry,
this is another story.

-Boris Marian (Mehr), Bucharest-


Photo: Florian Ispas, Bucegi Mountains

It seems that my father
started to Comet Holmes
in order to use it as a spaceship.

It is certain,
he will find so fascinating things over there
that will never come back here,
on Earth.

-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe, Bucharest-








III. POST-SCRIPTUM

Perseids, August 2008…

No trace of comet Holmes.
Just the traditional falling stars gushing
from a normal constellation Perseus.

However, I ask myself:
will the Perseid meteor shower have a step-brother
(coming not from Comet Swift-Tuttle,
but from Comet Holmes)
in some future autumn?

-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-