Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2000 May 13: South)

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 Updated on May 28, 2000
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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 S4 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 2000 Feb. 12
It will be 4 mag in 2000 July. In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable until early August. In the Southern Hemisphere, it locates very low between late May and mid June, however, it locates high after late July. Kadota, Ageo, observed it on May 4 and it was 13.0 mag by CCD. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13   1 56.03   29 20.9   2.430   1.542    22   10.8      9.8  41.0   5:18 (240, -8)  
May  20   2  0.77   30 19.5   2.295   1.459    26   10.4      9.6  29.9   5:22 (235, -4)

* C/1999 T1 ( McNaught-Hartley )
It is expected to be bright as 7 mag in late 2000. Northern people cannot observe it until December. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13   3  5.29  -31 15.3   3.737   3.180    49   12.9     21.3  89.8   5:18 (299, 13)  
May  20   3 17.23  -31 17.4   3.626   3.104    51   12.7     22.5  91.9   5:22 (297, 17)

* C/1997 BA6 ( Spacewatch )

 Image: 1998 Dec. 5
Only southern people can observe it. Recently it was observed as 12 mag. 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  13  22 58.39  -49 34.5   3.642   3.766    89   13.0      1.7  24.3   5:18 (311, 61)  
May  20  22 58.31  -49 26.5   3.578   3.792    94   13.0      1.2 306.9   5:22 (315, 66)

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

 Image: 1999 June 12
The altitude will be 23 deg at best in the Northern Hemisphere. Now it is not in outburst. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  17 10.11  -32 21.3   5.155   6.064   151   13.4      5.5 270.8   1:47 (180, 87)  
May  20  17  6.91  -32 19.7   5.109   6.062   158   13.4      6.1 273.5   1:16 (180, 87)

* C/1999 K5 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 1999 July 31
It is only observable in the Southern Hemisphere until the end of 2001. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  23 30.00  -65 45.0   3.056   3.294    94   13.6     29.6 130.6   5:18 (334, 51)  
May  20  23 57.55  -67 57.0   2.997   3.284    97   13.5     30.2 128.4   5:22 (338, 50)

* C/1995 O1 ( Hale-Bopp )
Only southern people can observe it. Northern people can never see it again. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13   5 10.57  -69 34.5  11.020  11.069    90   13.7      4.8  70.6  18:33 ( 25, 39)  
May  20   5 16.75  -69 24.9  11.057  11.117    90   13.7      4.9  76.6  18:30 ( 25, 37)

* C/1999 K8 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 1999 Dec. 30
Because it is far away, it keeps 14 mag until late 2000. It is lower than 15 deg in May. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13   0 46.45   13 59.8   4.964   4.203    37   14.2     15.4  88.0   5:18 (241, 14)  
May  20   0 53.75   14  2.4   4.903   4.206    42   14.2     14.9  89.1   5:22 (237, 19)

* C/1999 T2 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 2000 Jan. 8
It will be 13 mag at good position in 2000 September. It was reported as 13.5 mag visually. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  22 43.36   43 32.0   3.935   3.584    62   14.5     18.5 351.1   5:18 (202,  7)  
May  20  22 40.85   45 43.1   3.824   3.549    66   14.4     19.8 346.0   5:22 (195,  7)

* 64P/Swift-Gehrels
Not observable at all in this return. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13   3 23.85   23 19.6   2.368   1.364     4   14.4     52.3  76.6  18:33 (105,-20)  
May  20   3 49.77   24 35.1   2.389   1.383     4   14.6     51.4  79.1  18:30 (107,-20)

* 9P/Tempel 1
Only observable in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, it appears at dawn in 2000 June, when it will be already fainter than 15 mag. It was fainter than 12.0 mag on Feb. 11 by KenIchi Kadota, Ageo. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  23 28.84  -13 12.0   2.154   1.959    65   14.5     26.6  74.9   5:18 (250, 47)  
May  20  23 40.72  -12 25.8   2.125   1.999    68   14.7     24.8  75.5   5:22 (245, 50)

* C/1999 J2 ( Skiff )

 Image: 2000 Jan. 28
It will be observable as 15 mag with a good condition. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  15 59.47   38  3.6   6.516   7.114   122   15.1     10.1 256.5   0:36 (180, 17)  
May  20  15 53.64   37 43.3   6.524   7.116   122   15.1     10.4 251.0   0:03 (180, 17)

* 47P/Ashbrook-Jackson
It will be 14 mag from August to November. But the altitude keeps lower than 20 deg until late August. It was observed as about 16 mag on May 3. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  20 38.30  -33 58.6   2.324   2.816   108   15.7      9.8 100.5   5:14 (180, 89)  
May  20  20 43.24  -34 12.8   2.219   2.791   114   15.5      8.2 106.4   4:52 (180, 89)

* C/1999 H3 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 2000 Feb. 17
It will fade out gradually after this, but it can be observed as 17.5 mag in 2001 spring. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  10 57.04   35 55.9   4.012   4.261    97   15.6     15.8 222.7  19:30 (180, 19)  
May  20  10 51.61   34 34.4   4.158   4.296    90   15.7     14.3 215.6  18:57 (180, 21)

* P/2000 G1 ( LINEAR )
New comet with a period of 5.4 years. It must be 12 mag and moving fast in March, when it was 0.1 AU from the earth. Although it was fading out rapidly in April, reported as 16.8 mag in Apr. 23, it was bright as 15.5 mag in May. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  17 42.65    4 42.8   0.390   1.327   138   15.9     20.7 284.1   2:19 (180, 50)  
May  20  17 33.04    5  1.8   0.432   1.385   144   16.3     20.7 271.4   1:42 (180, 50)

* 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh

 Image: 2000 Jan. 15
It was reported as 13.5-14.0 mag visually. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13   7 35.69   26  7.5   4.065   3.648    58   16.3     14.9 100.0  18:33 (146, 20)  
May  20   7 43.50   25 48.3   4.143   3.643    54   16.3     15.7 100.5  18:30 (143, 18)

* 95P/(2060) Chiron

 Image: 1999 June 12
No observations reported since 1999 June. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  17  0.06  -17 22.0   9.107  10.040   156   16.3      3.7 282.4   1:37 (180, 72)  
May  20  16 58.20  -17 16.5   9.079  10.052   163   16.3      4.0 281.1   1:07 (180, 72)

* 143P/Kowal-Mrkos
Recovered by LINEAR. It keeps 17 mag for a while, however, it will be lower. It may be fainter than this ephemeris. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  11 22.00   -1 23.8   1.921   2.570   119   17.0      6.1  87.0  19:56 (180, 56)  
May  20  11 25.41   -1 25.2   1.990   2.564   113   17.1      8.4  95.0  19:32 (180, 56)

* P/2000 C1 ( Hergenrother )

 Image: 2000 Feb. 11
It was in fact a bit brighter than this ephemeris. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  11 55.89    9 58.8   1.419   2.135   122   17.1      9.7 127.0  20:30 (180, 45)  
May  20  12  0.12    9 13.9   1.491   2.146   116   17.2     12.3 124.7  20:06 (180, 46)

* C/1999 K2 ( Ferris )

 Image: 1999 May 31
Fading gradually. It keeps 17-18 mag at good position until October. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  20 35.44   29 37.9   5.939   6.030    90   17.2     12.2 346.4   5:11 (180, 25)  
May  20  20 33.57   30 60.0   5.886   6.054    94   17.2     12.3 340.8   4:42 (180, 24)

* C/1999 E1 ( Li )

 Image: 2000 Jan. 28
Fading gradually. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  10  9.78   37 42.7   5.130   5.196    88   17.2      4.8 118.8  18:44 (180, 17)  
May  20  10 12.56   37 25.1   5.261   5.227    82   17.3      5.9 117.4  18:30 (178, 18)

* C/1999 N4 ( LINEAR )
It keeps 17 mag at good position until August. It was bright as 16.4 mag on Apr. 15. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  17 32.95    4  8.1   4.690   5.506   140   17.3     18.6 283.3   2:10 (180, 51)  
May  20  17 24.21    4 36.2   4.638   5.505   145   17.2     19.6 281.0   1:34 (180, 50)

* C/1998 T1 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 2000 Feb. 11
Gradually fading. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  11  2.35    0 49.6   3.683   4.194   113   17.5     11.2 305.3  19:36 (180, 54)  
May  20  10 58.65    1 30.7   3.870   4.260   105   17.6      8.6 308.0  19:04 (180, 53)

* C/1999 F2 ( Dalcanton )

 Image: 1999 June 30
It keeps the good condition until autumn. It will fade out gradually. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  17 25.41   28 31.4   6.106   6.726   124   17.5      7.5 322.0   2:02 (180, 27)  
May  20  17 22.81   29  9.9   6.120   6.762   125   17.5      7.2 314.8   1:32 (180, 26)

* 71P/Clark
It is not observable around the perihelion passage. In July when it will be lower than 20 deg, it reaches only to 16.5 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  13  10 31.38   20  8.5   1.993   2.376    99   17.8      9.5 143.6  19:05 (180, 35)  
May  20  10 34.79   19 11.9   2.040   2.336    93   17.7     11.8 136.3  18:41 (180, 36)

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