Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2002 July 27: North)

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Updated on July 27, 2002
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Best time and the azimuth, altitude (A,h) are at lat. 35 deg in the Northern Hemisphere.

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* 153P/2002 C1 ( Ikeya-Zhang )


The fading pace is very slow and the comet is still 9 mag. However, now it is very diffused.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  15 30.36   -7  5.7   1.886   2.401   107   10.2     16.4 148.8  20:46 ( 33, 42)  
Aug.  3  15 34.67   -8 38.2   2.067   2.496   102   10.5     15.9 141.8  20:37 ( 36, 39)  

* C/2000 SV74 ( LINEAR )


It is as faint as 15 mag by CCD. It is also fainter than 13 mag visually these days.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  11 48.18   72 55.4   4.020   3.631    60   13.0     25.1 149.0  20:46 (159, 36)  
Aug.  3  12  6.77   70 23.9   4.040   3.645    60   13.1     24.8 150.1  20:37 (156, 36)  

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1


Although it kept as bright as 12 mag in July, it was extremely diffused and hard to see. The nuclues is already faint as 16 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  20 54.40  -18  3.2   4.809   5.818   172   13.1      7.0 260.9   0:38 (  0, 37)  
Aug.  3  20 50.99  -18 10.9   4.802   5.816   179   13.1      7.1 261.2   0:07 (  0, 37)  

* 46P/Wirtanen


It is getting brighter rapidly. But it is much fainter than expected. It may be 12.5 mag at best.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   5 26.14   18 19.4   1.664   1.137    42   13.8     64.4  79.9   3:26 (257, 14)  
Aug.  3   5 57.76   19 27.7   1.646   1.106    41   13.3     65.2  82.4   3:33 (257, 15)  

* 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko


It was observed at 15.0 mag on June 18, as bright as expected. It will reach to 13.5 mag between July and October.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   5  5.71   22 10.6   1.797   1.320    46   13.5     54.8  79.8   3:26 (256, 20)  
Aug.  3   5 33.10   23  9.0   1.773   1.305    46   13.4     54.8  82.3   3:33 (257, 22)  

* 22P/Kopff


It will be too low in August. It will appear at dawn in next June at 15.5 mag and will be fading.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  12 33.37    0 59.5   2.305   2.064    63   13.7     25.2 116.0  20:46 ( 78, 18)  
Aug.  3  12 44.29   -0 19.8   2.334   2.025    59   13.6     26.8 115.6  20:37 ( 78, 16)  

* C/2001 K5 ( LINEAR )


Strongly condensed.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  16 17.62   19  1.9   4.802   5.212   108   13.6      3.2 288.9  20:46 ( 37, 71)  
Aug.  3  16 16.45   19  6.9   4.882   5.207   103   13.7      1.8 283.0  20:37 ( 48, 68)  

* C/2001 N2 ( LINEAR )


It will be observable at 14 mag until September. After the conjunction, it will be observable again at 15 mag in 2003.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  16 12.77    8 28.3   2.126   2.679   112   13.8     40.6 236.0  20:46 ( 28, 61)  
Aug.  3  15 58.36    5 52.6   2.240   2.673   103   14.0     35.2 231.9  20:37 ( 40, 54)  

* 116P/Wild 4


After conjunction, it will appear at dawn at 13 mag in October.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   9  2.36   19 19.3   3.494   2.496     8   14.1     28.0 107.3  20:46 (124,-12)  
Aug.  3   9 15.60   18 18.7   3.482   2.474     5   14.0     28.4 108.2  20:37 (124,-14)  

* 28P/Neujmin 1


Stellar object. It will reach to 13 mag at the end of this year. In the northern hemisphere, it keeps low in the south after this.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  14 54.68  -35 44.1   1.838   2.347   107   14.1      7.6  58.2  20:46 ( 27, 13)  
Aug.  3  14 59.25  -35 18.4   1.862   2.292   101   14.1     10.0  70.8  20:37 ( 30, 12)  

* C/2002 F1 ( Utsunomiya )


Although it did not fade at all in May and kept 8 mag until late May, only two observations by one person in mid June were reported after June. So the current brightness is quite uncertain. It became very diffused and faded out rapidly in mid June, fainter than 10.5 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   7 51.86  -25 44.6   2.515   1.947    45   14.1     32.3 136.7   3:26 (276,-40)  
Aug.  3   8  3.17  -28 27.9   2.597   2.053    47   14.6     31.2 138.0   3:33 (282,-36)  

* C/2001 RX14 ( LINEAR )


Getting brighter as expected. It will be observable at 10 mag in the good condition for a long time from winter to next spring.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   5 16.44   43 36.4   3.507   2.896    46   14.3     25.9  72.1   3:26 (234, 28)  
Aug.  3   5 32.69   44 30.3   3.397   2.842    49   14.2     26.4  73.2   3:33 (235, 31)  

* 57P/du Toit-Neujmin-Delporte


It reaches to 15 mag at best in July and August. However, it bursted out and became 6 mag brighter than this ephemeris in the previous return in 1996. Total 20 nuclei have been discovered.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  20  0.80  -14  5.7   0.718   1.730   172   14.7      4.6 235.7  23:40 (  0, 41)  
Aug.  3  19 59.22  -14 25.9   0.726   1.730   166   14.8      4.1 219.7  23:11 (  0, 41)  

* C/2001 HT50 ( LINEAR-NEAT )


After conjunction, it will appear at dawn at 13.5 mag in October.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   9 43.90   -0 11.4   5.274   4.399    27   15.2      3.7  98.2  20:46 (102,-17)  
Aug.  3   9 45.70   -0 16.6   5.272   4.350    22   15.1      4.2 103.2  20:37 (105,-20)  

* 65P/Gunn


It will be too low in the evening sky in August.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  11 54.22    8 46.7   3.490   2.970    51   15.2     19.7 120.6  20:46 ( 90, 15)  
Aug.  3  12  2.42    7 35.5   3.540   2.950    47   15.2     20.5 120.0  20:37 ( 91, 12)  

* 7P/Pons-Winnecke


The ephemeris says it is fading now. But it seems to be bright still now actually, about 13 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   0 35.54  -37 53.3   0.710   1.523   122   15.4     23.0 158.5   3:26 (349, 16)  
Aug.  3   0 38.85  -40 16.9   0.736   1.568   126   15.7     19.7 172.3   3:33 (356, 15)  

* C/2000 WM1 ( LINEAR )


It became so faint now. It seems to be fainter than 18 mag in September.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  16  6.60   31 46.9   2.776   3.116    99   15.8      9.7 198.1  20:46 ( 79, 77)  
Aug.  3  16  5.59   30 42.1   2.933   3.203    96   16.1      9.3 184.5  20:37 ( 81, 73)  

* C/2002 E2 ( Snyder-Murakami )


Fading rapidly.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  13  2.78   75 33.7   2.770   2.538    66   15.8      8.9 178.5  20:46 (163, 41)  
Aug.  3  13  4.92   74 35.4   2.849   2.608    66   16.1      8.1 164.8  20:37 (162, 40)  

* C/1999 U4 ( Catalina-Skiff )


It is observable until autumn at 15 mag. It was reported as 14 mag visually, but as 16 mag by CCD, so there is a large difference.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  11 18.75   50  3.0   5.998   5.345    46   15.9     15.1 137.4  20:46 (133, 28)  
Aug.  3  11 26.17   48 45.9   6.049   5.366    44   16.0     15.1 135.9  20:37 (133, 26)  

* 92P/Sanguin


It will be 15.5 mag in September.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  21 43.14   14  9.9   1.003   1.905   141   16.2      3.8 130.7   1:26 (  0, 69)  
Aug.  3  21 44.18   13 40.0   0.954   1.883   146   16.0      6.3 166.1   0:59 (  0, 69)  

* P/1986 A1 ( Shoemaker 3 )


First return of a new periodic comet with a period of 17 years. It will reach to 12 mag in 2003 January and be observable in good condition.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   4 38.10   18  8.8   2.800   2.340    53   16.3     29.9  80.8   3:26 (264, 23)  
Aug.  3   4 52.75   18 40.0   2.695   2.297    56   16.1     30.3  82.0   3:33 (266, 28)  

* C/2002 K4 ( NEAT )


It keeps 17 mag until September.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  19 55.81   23  6.9   1.937   2.768   137   16.6     40.4 293.2  23:33 (  0, 78)  
Aug.  3  19 37.14   24 44.0   1.970   2.772   133   16.6     37.6 288.6  22:47 (  0, 80)  

* C/2000 CT54 ( LINEAR )


No observations have been reported since 2002 January. It will be brighter than 17 mag until September.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27   1 36.35   -2 28.0   4.561   4.877   102   16.7      2.7 345.3   3:26 (319, 44)  
Aug.  3   1 35.70   -2 11.0   4.502   4.923   108   16.7      3.1 316.6   3:33 (330, 49)  

* 95P/(2060) Chiron


It keeps 17 mag locating at the same altitude until October in the Northerm Hemisphere.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  18 18.33  -16 25.4  10.658  11.548   149   17.1      3.1 263.5  21:58 (  0, 39)  
Aug.  3  18 16.93  -16 28.0  10.734  11.561   143   17.1      2.7 261.7  21:29 (  0, 39)  

* C/2002 J5 ( LINEAR )


It is a far object. It will be 17 mag all through in 2003 and 2004.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  19 20.00   14 38.4   5.622   6.458   142   17.4     13.8 276.0  22:59 (  0, 70)  
Aug.  3  19 13.48   14 45.7   5.629   6.435   139   17.3     13.3 272.9  22:25 (  0, 70)  

* C/1997 BA6 ( Spacewatch )


It keeps brightness around 17.5 mag still now.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
July 27  21 26.45   16  9.4   7.835   8.652   141   17.5      7.0 279.7   1:09 (  0, 71)  
Aug.  3  21 23.06   16 15.8   7.844   8.697   145   17.5      7.1 275.3   0:39 (  0, 71)  

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