Weekly Information about Bright Comets (1999 May 1: South)

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Updated on May 9, 1999
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Best time and the azimuth, altitude (A,h) are at lat. 35 deg in the Southern Hemisphere.

Please see also the Comet Rendezvous Calendar, Latest Pictures of Comets.

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* C/1999 H1 ( Lee )

Image: 1999 May 6
New comet. In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be in the evening sky as 7 mag until mid June. Then it will appear at dawn as 7 mag in late July. After that, it will fade while being higher.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  10 19.78  -52  9.8   0.733   1.501   118    8.1    149.9 325.1  19:40 (  0, 74)  
May   8   9 31.34  -36 30.3   0.725   1.400   106    7.8    150.9 335.9  18:38 ( 76, 88)  

* C/1998 T1 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 Apr. 29
It was as faint as 14.2 mag on Apr. 29, about 3 mag fainter than the ephemeris by CCD. The current visual magnitude is uncertain.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  23 36.54   -3 27.7   2.176   1.661    46   10.9      5.4 173.2   5:10 (253, 28)  
May   8  23 36.44   -4 11.6   1.988   1.618    54   10.6      7.4 189.4   5:14 (248, 34)  

* C/1998 M5 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 May 1
We can see it in good condition until June. It is very low in the Southern Hemisphere. It was observed as a bit fainter than the ephemeris in April.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   8 32.53   48 18.4   2.079   2.133    79   10.9     40.8 166.4  18:43 (172,  6)  
May   8   8 39.21   43 55.0   2.215   2.184    75   11.1     37.1 163.8  18:38 (169, 10)  

* 4P/Faye

Image: 1998 Dec. 13
Not observable. It will appear again in September as 13 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   2 36.06   13  3.3   2.664   1.658     2   11.4     43.5  76.0  18:43 ( 95,-16)  
May   8   2 56.39   14 13.1   2.664   1.657     2   11.4     43.5  77.3   5:14 (264,-16)  

* C/1995 O1 ( Hale-Bopp )


Only southern people can observe it. Norhtern people can never see it again.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   5 12.40  -63 51.8   8.331   8.297    84   11.8      6.1  58.8  18:43 ( 32, 43)  
May   8   5 18.06  -63 31.7   8.381   8.352    84   11.8      6.1  65.2  18:38 ( 33, 42)  

* 37P/Forbes

Image: 1999 May 1
In the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude will be only about 15 deg until June.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  21 59.61  -18 44.3   1.335   1.446    74   13.1     46.4  66.9   5:10 (251, 56)  
May   8  22 20.09  -16 33.5   1.304   1.447    76   13.0     45.1  65.2   5:14 (244, 57)  

* C/1997 BA6 ( Spacewatch )

Image: 1998 Dec. 5
Only southern people can observe it. It will appear again in 2000 August as 13 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   7 51.69  -46  0.1   3.740   3.941    93   13.3      4.0 354.1  18:43 ( 50, 70)  
May   8   7 51.99  -45 34.3   3.761   3.911    90   13.3      3.6  21.2  18:38 ( 55, 67)  

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

Image: 1999 Apr. 16
It was very diffused after outburst in mid April.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  15  7.11  -29  2.3   5.198   6.171   163   13.5      6.5 282.8   0:34 (180, 84)  
May   8  15  3.68  -28 50.9   5.178   6.169   167   13.5      6.7 285.5   0:03 (180, 84)  

* P/1998 U3 ( Jager )

Image: 1999 May 1
It was about 11-13 mag in April.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   7 51.50   13 53.1   2.182   2.190    77   14.1     27.0 111.8  18:43 (153, 37)  
May   8   8  3.65   12 42.2   2.268   2.205    73   14.2     27.6 111.7  18:38 (150, 37)  

* C/1999 A1 ( Tilbrook )

Image: 1999 Jan. 16
Only southern people can observe it. It will appear at dawn as 16 mag in mid June for Norhtern observers.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  20 47.83  -57 50.4   1.299   1.781   100   14.3     38.6 255.9   5:10 (340, 65)  
May   8  20 11.33  -58 38.9   1.271   1.879   110   14.5     44.8 264.0   5:11 (  0, 66)  

* C/1997 J2 ( Meunier-Dupouy )

Image: 1998 Dec. 13
Only southern people can observe it. It will appear again in late May as 14 mag in the Northern Hemisphere.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  23 12.29  -24 23.9   5.331   4.946    62   14.3      9.9 126.0   5:10 (271, 44)  
May   8  23 16.20  -25  7.1   5.275   4.993    68   14.3      9.7 132.2   5:14 (268, 50)  

* C/1999 H3 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 May 1
New comet. Well condensed and easy to take the image.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  19  5.47   47 22.4   3.449   3.641    92   14.6     27.3 323.7   4:32 (180,  8)  
May   8  18 52.83   49 53.6   3.384   3.624    95   14.5     28.7 317.4   3:52 (180,  5)  

* 102P/Shoemaker 1


Not yet observed in this return. Although it is not observable now, we can observe it for a while as 15-16 mag after appearing again at dawn as 15 mag in June. But it should be muyh fainter than the ephemeris.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   1  9.92   19  1.5   2.933   2.015    19   14.9     35.6  56.0   5:10 (250, -4)  
May   8   1 24.61   21 19.4   2.922   2.027    22   14.9     35.4  56.5   5:14 (245, -2)  

* 88P/Howell

Image: 1999 Feb. 6
Not observable. Although it appears again in July, it will be fainter than 18 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   2 18.26   12 32.4   3.480   2.476     3   15.4     26.8  69.4   5:10 (264,-14)  
May   8   2 30.15   13 36.1   3.517   2.520     7   15.6     26.1  70.2   5:14 (261,-11)  

* 10P/Tempel 2

Image: 1999 Apr. 14
It is getting brighter. It was 16 mag in late April.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  17 29.51   -5 12.2   1.098   1.947   135   15.8      6.7  54.6   2:56 (180, 60)  
May   8  17 31.38   -4 46.9   1.017   1.907   140   15.4      4.1  37.1   2:30 (180, 60)  

* C/1998 U5 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 Apr. 30
It is very diffused and hard to observe.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  20 18.15   16 50.1   2.022   2.239    88   15.7     26.0 275.8   5:10 (191, 38)  
May   8  20  4.34   17  3.9   1.959   2.315    97   15.8     30.8 272.4   5:03 (180, 38)  

* 95P/(2060) Chiron

Image: 1999 Apr. 14
It was about 16.5 mag in March and April, a bit fainter than the ephemeris.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  16  3.92  -16 45.2   8.487   9.426   157   16.0      3.9 287.5   1:31 (180, 72)  
May   8  16  2.03  -16 36.9   8.460   9.437   164   15.9      4.2 286.5   1:01 (180, 72)  

* C/1998 P1 ( Williams )

Image: 1999 Apr. 8
It is very diffused and hard to observe.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   7 14.70   40 55.7   3.238   2.974    65   16.0      3.1 119.1  18:43 (157,  9)  
May   8   7 16.82   40 45.8   3.428   3.051    60   16.2      4.3 107.7  18:38 (153,  7)  

* 140P/Bowell-Skiff

Image: 1999 May 1
It keeps 17 mag until July.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   8  9.85   21  2.3   1.888   1.977    79   16.2     29.4 106.4  18:43 (161, 32)  
May   8   8 24.18   20  1.1   1.946   1.973    76   16.3     30.7 107.3  18:38 (159, 32)  

* 52P/Harrington-Abell

Image: 1999 Apr. 29
It was 16.5 mag in late April.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   8 51.28   16 42.8   1.676   1.962    90   16.4     28.9 115.4  18:43 (172, 38)  
May   8   9  4.01   15 15.7   1.770   1.991    86   16.7     29.2 115.2  18:38 (169, 39)  

* C/1998 M1 ( LINEAR )


Appearing at dawn. Last observation is on Sept. 16, 1998. It keeps 16 mag until August, locating in good position. We failed to observe it on Mar. 22, it should be fainter than 16.8 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  21 53.08    4 59.1   3.822   3.586    68   16.5     16.1  50.4   5:10 (224, 40)  
May   8  21 58.60    6 10.4   3.769   3.619    73   16.5     15.0  47.8   5:14 (216, 42)  

* P/1988 V1 ( Ge-Wang )


First return. Bright and now is the chance to recover. It is already observable in the Southern Hemisphere. Even in the Northern Hemisphere, the comet will be higher after this. It will be brightening slowly and reach to 15 mag in September.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  23 33.61    0 47.3   3.127   2.534    46   16.5     27.3  71.6   5:10 (249, 26)  
May   8  23 45.62    1 46.7   3.058   2.525    49   16.5     26.9  71.8   5:14 (245, 29)  

* C/1998 M2 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 Mar. 12
No observations reported since it appeared at dawn, except for Ageo Survey team's one on Mar. 12 (16.4 mag).
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  23 35.64   51 11.0   4.345   3.784    50   17.0     19.9  52.5   5:10 (213,-10)  
May   8  23 47.30   52 34.8   4.377   3.831    51   17.0     19.1  51.5   5:14 (209, -9)  

* C/1998 W3 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 Mar. 22
Although it will be at conjunction soon, it will appear at dawn again as 17.5 mag after August.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   6 12.30   45 38.7   5.673   5.167    55   17.4      2.2  57.7  18:43 (149, -1)  
May   8   6 13.81   45 47.6   5.779   5.184    49   17.5      3.0  62.7  18:38 (147, -3)  

* 134P/Kowal-Vavrova


No observations reported since last May, although it appears at dawn.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  19  0.89  -17 47.2   2.311   2.892   115   17.6      5.1  60.7   4:27 (180, 73)  
May   8  19  2.48  -17 30.7   2.255   2.917   121   17.6      3.0  42.7   4:01 (180, 73)  

* 105P/Singer Brewster


Not yet been observed in this return, although the perihelion passage in on Apr. 6. Now is the chance to observe it for the first time, but it is in the Milky Way.. It will be 17.5 mag in May and June.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  18  7.59  -11  0.9   1.267   2.041   127   17.7     10.4  39.8   3:34 (180, 66)  
May   8  18  9.97  -10  5.2   1.221   2.047   132   17.6      8.5  23.0   3:09 (180, 65)  

* C/1999 G1 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 Apr. 13
New comet. It will be faint and low in June.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  13 11.51   -4 11.6   3.797   4.744   157   17.7     16.1 254.1  22:34 (180, 59)  
May   8  13  4.54   -4 43.0   3.868   4.766   149   17.7     14.9 252.2  22:00 (180, 60)  

* (10199) 1997 CU26

Image: 1999 Jan. 22
A Centaur asteroid. The perihelion passage is in 2004. It will keep the current brightness over 10 years after this.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   9 12.44    6 10.2  13.295  13.478    98   17.8      0.5  81.2  18:43 (177, 49)  
May   8   9 12.80    6 10.3  13.407  13.475    91   17.8      1.0  93.9  18:38 (169, 48)  

* P/1998 W1 ( Spahr )

Image: 1999 Mar. 22
It is already very faint, 17.9 mag in early April.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   7 24.88   34 16.2   2.104   1.966    68   18.0     32.2  91.0  18:43 (156, 16)  
May   8   7 42.97   34  6.5   2.195   1.996    65   18.2     32.1  93.6  18:38 (155, 16)  

* C/1998 M3 ( Larsen )

Image: 1999 Mar. 22
A bit fainter than the ephemeris.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  16 18.71   30 19.0   5.458   6.128   127   18.1     15.3 313.3   1:46 (180, 25)  
May   8  16 12.48   31 28.6   5.467   6.145   128   18.1     15.0 308.8   1:12 (180, 24)  

* C/1999 F1 ( Catalina )


New comet. The perihelion passage is in 2002. But because it will go to the Southern Sky, only until mid June the comet will be higher than 40 deg.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  13  2.20   -8 19.3   8.118   9.056   157   18.1      7.4 271.4  22:25 (180, 63)  
May   8  12 58.80   -8 18.4   8.136   9.022   149   18.1      7.0 270.6  21:54 (180, 63)  

* 60P/Tsuchinshan 2

Image: 1999 Mar. 22
It will be fainter than 19 mag and lower than 30 deg in late May.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   8 23.26   13 24.4   1.632   1.837    84   18.2     32.3 104.5  18:43 (162, 40)  
May   8   8 38.33   12 25.3   1.708   1.855    81   18.4     32.8 105.4  18:38 (160, 40)  

* 93P/Lovas 1

Image: 1999 Mar. 22
It will be fainter than 19 mag and lower than 30 deg in late May.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1   7 55.18   25 21.1   2.606   2.552    75   18.2     22.2 111.6  18:43 (159, 27)  
May   8   8  5.84   24 23.4   2.733   2.596    71   18.4     22.4 111.6  18:38 (156, 27)  

* (5145) Pholus

Image: 1999 Jan. 30
A Centaur asteroid. The perihelion passage is in 1991. It will keep 18 mag until around 2000.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May   1  14 14.32   14 41.4  13.193  14.076   150   18.3      3.2 283.5  23:37 (180, 40)  
May   8  14 12.85   14 45.6  13.243  14.094   146   18.4      3.0 278.8  23:08 (180, 40)  

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Copyright(C) Seiichi Yoshida (comet@aerith.net). All rights reserved.