Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2002 Aug. 10: North)

Japanese version
Home page
 Updated on August 11, 2002
Last week South Next week

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

---------------------------------------------------------------------

* C/2002 O6
New comet. It keeps 6 mag until mid September, but it will be lower than 10 deg after mid August. When it begins to be higher again in late October, it will be fainter than 11 mag. Based on the rapid brightening in SWAN images, it may become brighter than this ephemeris. In the Southern Hemisphere, it will set down under the northern horizon soon, and will not be observable until November. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10   6  4.10   16 45.1   0.259   0.856    46    5.9    360.7  48.5   3:41 (264, 20)  
Aug. 17   8 13.35   36  9.5   0.341   0.739    30    5.9    215.0  65.3   3:49 (235, 13)

* C/2002 O4 ( Hoenig )
New comet. It is approaching to the early and is observable in good condition at 8 mag. The perihelion passage is on Oct. 1 and it keeps 8-9 mag until November. However, it becomes low in September and October. In the Southern Hemishpere, it is not observable until late November. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  22 17.85   68 33.3   0.650   1.252    95    8.5    141.8 333.6   1:09 (180, 57)  
Aug. 17  19 12.63   79 44.5   0.668   1.159    84    8.3    131.0 289.7  21:05 (180, 45)

* 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)  
Aug. 10   6 29.99   20 15.7   1.636   1.083    40   12.8     65.4  85.1   3:41 (256, 16)  
Aug. 17   7  2.43   20 41.7   1.635   1.067    39   12.5     65.0  87.9   3:49 (256, 17)

* 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)  
Aug. 10  12 23.66   67 44.8   4.064   3.661    59   13.1     24.4 150.8  20:28 (152, 36)  
Aug. 17  12 37.40   65 17.2   4.089   3.678    59   13.1     23.9 150.6  20:18 (149, 35)

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
It bursted out in early August and it is now 12 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  20 47.57  -18 18.2   4.809   5.815   172   13.1      7.0 261.6  23:31 (  0, 37)  
Aug. 17  20 44.26  -18 24.9   4.831   5.813   164   13.2      6.6 262.3  23:01 (  0, 37)

* 153P/2002 C1 ( Ikeya-Zhang )
Extremely diffused and hard to observe. Although the total magnitude is 12 mag, the central part is fainter than 15 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  15 39.59  -10  0.8   2.252   2.590    97   13.2     15.7 135.7  20:28 ( 39, 36)  
Aug. 17  15 45.01  -11 15.4   2.438   2.683    92   13.8     15.6 130.5  20:18 ( 41, 34)

* 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)  
Aug. 10   6  0.75   23 50.2   1.754   1.296    47   13.3     54.4  84.9   3:41 (257, 24)  
Aug. 17   6 28.36   24 13.5   1.740   1.292    47   13.3     53.8  87.6   3:49 (257, 26)

* 22P/Kopff
It is very low in the evening sky. 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)  
Aug. 10  12 55.94   -1 42.8   2.359   1.987    56   13.4     28.4 115.2  20:28 ( 78, 14)  
Aug. 17  13  8.31   -3  9.0   2.381   1.949    53   13.3     29.9 114.7  20:18 ( 77, 12)

* C/2001 K5 ( LINEAR )
Strongly condensed. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  16 15.86   19  6.2   4.970   5.206    97   13.7      0.4 253.3  20:28 ( 56, 65)  
Aug. 17  16 15.97   19  3.9   5.054   5.201    92   13.7      1.0 120.4  20:18 ( 62, 62)

* 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)  
Aug. 10   9 28.88   17 14.3   3.464   2.452     2   13.9     28.8 109.1  20:28 (124,-15)  
Aug. 17   9 42.19   16  6.2   3.442   2.431     2   13.8     29.2 109.9   3:49 (237,-16)

* 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)  
Aug. 10   5 49.60   45 21.6   3.286   2.789    52   14.0     26.9  74.4   3:41 (235, 35)  
Aug. 17   6  7.17   46  9.8   3.174   2.738    55   13.9     27.4  75.7   3:49 (235, 38)

* 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. Akimasa Nakamura reported that it was so faint as 17.4 mag on July 31. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  15  5.47  -34 57.9   1.887   2.238    96   14.0     12.6  78.3  20:28 ( 32, 11)  
Aug. 17  15 13.29  -34 42.2   1.913   2.185    91   14.0     15.2  82.9  20:18 ( 34, 10)

* 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)  
Aug. 10  15 46.78    3 25.0   2.369   2.671    95   14.1     30.1 227.4  20:28 ( 47, 48)  
Aug. 17  15 37.60    1  7.8   2.505   2.669    87   14.2     25.6 222.5  20:18 ( 53, 42)

* 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)  
Aug. 10  19 58.50  -14 48.5   0.742   1.732   160   14.8      3.4 188.1  22:43 (  0, 40)  
Aug. 17  19 58.92  -15 11.6   0.768   1.736   154   14.9      4.0 144.1  22:16 (  0, 40)

* 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)  
Aug. 10   8 14.10  -31  9.3   2.677   2.158    49   14.9     30.3 139.5   3:41 (288,-32)  
Aug. 17   8 24.67  -33 49.5   2.755   2.260    51   15.3     29.4 141.1   3:49 (293,-29)

* 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)  
Aug. 10   9 47.84   -0 26.7   5.255   4.300    17   15.1      4.5 107.3  20:28 (107,-24)  
Aug. 17   9 49.89   -0 37.4   5.226   4.252    14   15.0      4.8 110.9  20:18 (110,-27)

* 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)  
Aug. 10  12 10.97    6 22.9   3.585   2.930    43   15.2     21.3 119.4  20:28 ( 91,  9)  
Aug. 17  12 19.85    5  8.9   3.624   2.909    39   15.2     22.0 118.9  20:18 ( 91,  7)

* P/1992 Q1 ( Brewington )
First return of a new periodic comet. It will reach to 10-11 mag in the evening sky during winter and spring. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  20 27.40  -37 34.0   1.588   2.545   155   15.7     15.3 281.4  23:11 (  0, 17)  
Aug. 17  20 18.85  -37  6.0   1.569   2.495   149   15.4     14.9 289.3  22:35 (  0, 18)

* 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)  
Aug. 10   5  7.69   19  6.9   2.591   2.255    59   15.9     30.7  83.3   3:41 (268, 32)  
Aug. 17   5 22.88   19 29.3   2.486   2.213    62   15.7     31.1  84.6   3:49 (271, 37)

* 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)  
Aug. 10  21 44.65   12 44.2   0.912   1.864   150   15.9      9.9 176.8   0:32 (  0, 68)  
Aug. 17  21 44.81   11 21.6   0.880   1.848   155   15.7     13.7 178.9   0:05 (  0, 66)

* P/2002 O5 ( NEAT )
New periodic comet. It will go far away from the earth after this and will be fainter rapidly. It will be fainter than 18 mag in October. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  16 46.94    4 18.6   0.344   1.176   109   15.9     74.8  49.4  20:28 ( 26, 57)  
Aug. 17  17 13.37    9 25.5   0.371   1.185   108   16.1     67.8  54.7  20:18 ( 25, 63)

* C/2001 Q4 ( NEAT )
It will be naked eye object in 2004. It is only 16 mag now and locates low in the Northern Hemisphere. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10   3  3.21  -29 52.1   7.112   7.373   100   16.4      7.5 171.8   3:41 (331, 18)  
Aug. 17   3  3.54  -30 45.4   6.976   7.314   105   16.4      7.8 178.9   3:49 (338, 21)

* C/2002 E2 ( Snyder-Murakami )
Fading rapidly. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  13  9.91   73 44.9   2.920   2.678    66   16.4      7.6 150.7  20:28 (160, 39)  
Aug. 17  13 17.12   73  2.6   2.985   2.748    66   16.7      7.5 136.9  20:18 (159, 39)

* C/2000 WM1 ( LINEAR )
Fading rapidly. 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)  
Aug. 10  16  5.76   29 37.6   3.091   3.289    92   16.5      9.2 171.9  20:28 ( 82, 69)  
Aug. 17  16  6.94   28 34.5   3.249   3.374    88   16.8      9.4 160.7  20:18 ( 83, 65)

* 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)  
Aug. 10  19 19.36   25 54.0   2.022   2.777   129   16.7     33.9 284.0  22:02 (  0, 81)  
Aug. 17  19  3.14   26 39.3   2.091   2.784   123   16.7     29.7 279.6  21:19 (  0, 82)

* 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)  
Aug. 10   1 34.36   -1 57.7   4.446   4.968   115   16.7      4.0 297.7   3:41 (343, 52)  
Aug. 17   1 32.38   -1 45.9   4.397   5.015   122   16.7      5.2 287.2   3:49 (359, 53)

* 6P/d'Arrest
Appearing at dawn. But it will be fainter than 18 mag in September. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10   5 12.46    5 54.0   2.680   2.362    61   16.8     20.5  96.5   3:41 (280, 24)  
Aug. 17   5 21.62    5 35.3   2.654   2.411    65   17.1     18.9  99.0   3:49 (285, 29)

* 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)  
Aug. 10  18 15.73  -16 30.8  10.822  11.575   136   17.1      2.3 259.1  21:00 (  0, 38)  
Aug. 17  18 14.77  -16 33.9  10.920  11.588   129   17.2      1.8 255.1  20:32 (  0, 38)

* 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)  
Aug. 10  19  7.22   14 47.9   5.651   6.413   135   17.3     12.6 269.9  21:51 (  0, 70)  
Aug. 17  19  1.33   14 45.5   5.686   6.391   130   17.3     11.8 266.9  21:18 (  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)  
Aug. 10  21 19.61   16 18.2   7.866   8.742   148   17.6      7.1 271.2   0:08 (  0, 71)  
Aug. 17  21 16.19   16 17.5   7.901   8.787   149   17.6      7.0 267.2  23:32 (  0, 71)

* C/2002 O7 ( LINEAR )
New comet. It will be 6 mag in the Southern Hemisphere in 2003 autumn. It will be low after this, then it becomes high in the morning sky and brighter than 16 mag in next January. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Aug. 10  14 22.87   44 17.9   5.518   5.245    69   17.9     11.3 184.8  20:28 (119, 51)  
Aug. 17  14 22.65   42 59.1   5.508   5.176    65   17.8     11.3 178.9  20:18 (118, 48)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

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