Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2002 Sept. 14: South)

Japanese version
Home page
 Updated on September 14, 2002
Last week North Next week

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

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

* C/2002 O6 ( SWAN )
It became 1.5 mag fainter since late August. They reported it was not seen fainter than 9 mag in early September. Some reported it is extremely diffused. It may disappear after this. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  11  8.43   30 43.8   1.095   0.507    27    8.2     52.0 153.6   4:38 (251,-28)  
Sept.21  11 19.46   25 10.5   1.273   0.568    25    9.1     51.4 157.9   4:27 (255,-25)

* C/2002 O4 ( Hoenig )
It is fading since Aug. 20 and it is about 8.5 mag now. The perihelion passage is on Oct. 1 and it keeps bright 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)  
Sept.14  12 53.52   49 52.6   1.015   0.851    49    8.3     59.1 196.4  19:14 (134,-25)  
Sept.21  12 43.36   43 38.3   1.115   0.805    44    8.3     52.5 195.0  19:19 (125,-29)

* 46P/Wirtanen
Brightened very rapidly and reached to 10 mag. However, it will fade out rapidly after this. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14   9  6.46   18 54.2   1.695   1.087    37   11.0     59.0  98.5   4:38 (246,  1)  
Sept.21   9 34.49   17 45.8   1.720   1.112    37   11.7     56.7 100.6   4:27 (248,  0)

* 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
It brightened about 1 mag after perihelion passage, and reached to 12 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14   8 13.36   23  3.2   1.719   1.331    50   11.9     48.6  97.4   4:38 (234,  8)  
Sept.21   8 37.21   22 13.2   1.718   1.354    51   12.0     46.8  99.4   4:27 (236,  7)

* 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)  
Sept.14  14  4.82   -9 13.7   2.439   1.811    41   12.7     35.5 112.0  19:14 ( 94, 21)  
Sept.21  14 20.75  -10 46.5   2.447   1.779    38   12.5     36.8 111.1  19:19 ( 90, 19)

* 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)  
Sept.14   7 23.74   48 40.7   2.733   2.541    68   13.2     28.9  81.9   4:38 (210, -4)  
Sept.21   7 44.22   49  5.5   2.627   2.495    71   13.1     29.2  83.6   4:27 (210, -5)

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
It seems to keep 12 mag recently. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  20 34.04  -18 39.0   5.050   5.806   135   13.2      3.4 269.1  21:00 (180, 74)  
Sept.21  20 32.63  -18 38.5   5.132   5.805   128   13.3      2.3 275.0  20:32 (180, 74)

* 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)  
Sept.14  10 35.57   11  1.3   3.312   2.353    14   13.4     30.4 112.6   4:38 (265,-12)  
Sept.21  10 48.92    9 38.1   3.269   2.335    17   13.3     30.7 113.1   4:27 (265,-10)

* 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)  
Sept.14  15 59.08  -34 12.0   2.004   1.981    74   13.7     25.1  88.6  19:14 ( 79, 56)  
Sept.21  16 13.89  -34  6.7   2.022   1.933    70   13.7     27.4  88.4  19:19 ( 78, 52)

* C/2001 K5 ( LINEAR )
Strongly condensed. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  16 22.56   18 37.8   5.381   5.189    73   13.8      5.8 100.8  19:14 (142, 26)  
Sept.21  16 25.61   18 30.6   5.456   5.187    69   13.9      6.8  98.4  19:19 (135, 22)

* C/2000 SV74 ( LINEAR )
It is as faint as 15 mag by CCD. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  13 21.77   56 14.7   4.198   3.754    57   13.9     21.1 146.6  19:14 (143,-24)  
Sept.21  13 31.25   54 14.5   4.225   3.775    57   13.9     20.3 145.1  19:19 (139,-26)

* C/2002 Q2 ( LINEAR )
New comet. Moving within 1 deg with C/2002 Q3 ( LINEAR ). Because it is extremely diffused, it is hard to observe. It will fade out quickly after late September. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  18 45.49   43 16.6   0.744   1.366   101   13.9    140.3 168.7  19:14 (180, 13)  
Sept.21  19  1.07   27  1.2   0.751   1.400   104   14.0    139.7 168.9  19:19 (175, 29)

* 92P/Sanguin
It became a bit brighter than expected, reached to 14 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  21 49.03    2 25.2   0.848   1.810   154   13.9     23.0 164.7  22:16 (180, 53)  
Sept.21  21 52.51   -0  8.5   0.866   1.808   150   14.0     23.3 157.7  21:52 (180, 55)

* 154P/2002 Q4 ( Brewington )
Recovered as bright as expected on Aug. 26. However, it did not come to bright after this, and still keeps 16.5 mag. 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)  
Sept.14  19 55.86  -33 25.3   1.602   2.305   122   14.4     11.1 341.4  20:22 (180, 88)  
Sept.21  19 54.83  -32  8.8   1.627   2.257   116   14.2     11.3 359.2  19:54 (180, 87)

* C/2002 Q3 ( LINEAR )
New comet. Moving within 1 deg with C/2002 Q2 ( LINEAR ). Because it is extremely diffused, it is hard to observe. It will fade out quickly after late September. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  18 41.54   44 11.5   0.751   1.363   100   14.4    138.8 167.9  19:14 (179, 12)  
Sept.21  18 58.14   28  4.3   0.755   1.396   104   14.5    139.6 168.3  19:19 (175, 28)

* 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)  
Sept.14   9 57.96   -1 42.0   4.969   4.061    22   14.7      4.8 126.2   4:38 (270,  3)  
Sept.21   9 59.67   -2  2.7   4.870   4.014    28   14.6      4.6 131.7   4:27 (268,  6)

* C/2001 N2 ( LINEAR )
It is fading now, but it will be observable again at 15 mag in 2003 after the conjunction. It was getting diffused these days. It was a bit fainter than this ephemeris in late August, around 15-16 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  15 18.79   -6 26.1   3.062   2.682    58   14.6     14.6 197.3  19:14 (108, 34)  
Sept.21  15 17.24   -8  0.5   3.191   2.690    51   14.7     13.3 190.1  19:19 (101, 29)

* 57P/du Toit-Neujmin-Delporte
It brightened rapidly and reached to 14 mag. But it has already started to fade out. Total 20 nuclei have been discovered. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  20 15.53  -16  9.8   0.945   1.778   131   14.9     14.6  92.0  20:43 (180, 71)  
Sept.21  20 23.26  -16  9.8   1.006   1.794   126   15.2     17.2  88.4  20:23 (180, 71)

* 65P/Gunn
After conjunction, it will appear at dawn at 14 mag in January. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  12 58.21    0  4.6   3.728   2.831    23   15.1     24.3 116.9  19:14 ( 92,  2)  
Sept.21  13  8.44   -1 12.5   3.740   2.812    19   15.1     24.8 116.4  19:19 ( 87, -1)

* C/2002 Q5 ( LINEAR )
New comet. Although it will keep the current magnitude for a while, it will not be observable in November. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  18  8.77   22 57.6   1.101   1.594    98   15.7     87.7 228.8  19:14 (169, 32)  
Sept.21  17 40.62   16 36.4   1.211   1.532    87   15.8     69.8 223.9  19:19 (151, 33)

* 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)  
Sept.14   2 59.41  -34 40.2   6.494   7.077   121   16.1      9.5 204.3   3:29 (180, 90)  
Sept.21   2 56.89  -35 40.3   6.396   7.018   124   16.0      9.8 210.1   2:59 (  0, 89)

* 153P/2002 C1 ( Ikeya-Zhang )
It will be extremely low in the evening sky and will be fainter than 18 mag in October, then the observation of this comet will end. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  16 10.37  -15 12.0   3.187   3.042    72   16.0     15.9 116.2  19:14 (109, 50)  
Sept.21  16 17.37  -15 59.0   3.371   3.129    67   16.5     16.0 113.8  19:19 (103, 45)

* 30P/Reinmuth 1
It will be observable in good condition at 14 mag in winter. No observations have been reported since 2001 November. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14   7 37.37   17 55.0   2.427   2.076    57   16.7     32.5  96.4   4:38 (232, 18)  
Sept.21   7 53.17   17 27.0   2.342   2.051    60   16.5     32.5  97.5   4:27 (232, 18)

* C/2000 CT54 ( LINEAR )
Fading slowly. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14   1 18.54   -1 16.2   4.291   5.201   152   16.8      9.5 274.5   1:48 (180, 56)  
Sept.21   1 13.95   -1 11.1   4.295   5.248   159   16.9     10.2 274.1   1:16 (180, 56)

* 2002 RP120
New asteroid with a cometary orbit. It will be as bright as 15.5 mag in October. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14   4 29.95   11  8.3   2.053   2.484   103   17.0     25.1 301.0   4:38 (187, 44)  
Sept.21   4 18.11   12 43.3   1.912   2.479   112   16.8     31.7 296.7   4:20 (180, 42)

* P/2002 Q1 ( Van Ness )
New periodic comet. It will go southwards while fading out after this. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14   4 57.25  -11 39.3   1.169   1.644    97   17.0     39.1 139.5   4:38 (208, 64)  
Sept.21   5  8.49  -15  7.8   1.164   1.673   100   17.1     36.6 144.3   4:27 (208, 68)

* C/2002 K4 ( NEAT )
It will be fainter than 18 mag in November. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  18 19.44   27  2.8   2.474   2.828   100   17.2     12.7 263.1  19:14 (173, 28)  
Sept.21  18 13.77   26 51.0   2.583   2.843    94   17.3      9.3 258.9  19:19 (164, 26)

* 89P/Russell 2
It was brighter than expected. But it is already fading and will be fainter than 18 mag in late October. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  23 24.66  -21 30.1   1.619   2.594   162   17.3     11.6 270.1  23:50 (180, 76)  
Sept.21  23 19.05  -21 25.0   1.658   2.616   157   17.4     10.8 277.6  23:17 (180, 76)

* 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)  
Sept.14  18 42.97   14  3.6   5.931   6.307   107   17.4      7.3 253.7  19:14 (179, 41)  
Sept.21  18 39.89   13 48.9   6.010   6.286   101   17.4      6.1 249.5  19:19 (167, 40)

* C/2002 C2 ( LINEAR )
It locates high until October at 17.5 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14   5  5.15    7 32.8   3.344   3.574    94   17.6     17.8 191.7   4:38 (200, 45)  
Sept.21   5  2.93    5 27.2   3.254   3.601   102   17.5     19.4 197.7   4:27 (194, 49)

* C/2001 U6 ( LINEAR )
It locates high until December at 17.5 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14  18 47.35   74 48.2   4.270   4.416    91   17.6     21.9 185.6  19:14 (180,-20)  
Sept.21  18 45.30   72 12.8   4.249   4.420    93   17.6     22.5 181.0  19:19 (177,-17)

* 155P/2002 R2 ( Shoemaker 3 )
Recovered 3 mag fainter than expected. Although it will be at the peak in 2003 January and be observable in good condition, it may reach to 15 mag at best. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
Sept.14   6 25.14   20 10.7   2.079   2.064    75   17.8     32.1  89.6   4:38 (216, 26)  
Sept.21   6 41.12   20  9.4   1.982   2.030    78   17.6     32.2  90.8   4:27 (216, 26)

* P/2002 O5 ( NEAT )
It will go far away from the earth 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)  
Sept.14  18 52.71   20  9.9   0.531   1.279   108   17.7     48.3  77.7  19:21 (180, 35)  
Sept.21  19 15.81   21  6.1   0.580   1.314   109   18.0     45.9  82.3  19:19 (179, 34)

* 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)  
Sept.14  21  4.00   15 46.2   8.175   8.966   139   17.8      5.6 251.8  21:30 (180, 39)  
Sept.21  21  1.60   15 33.5   8.275   9.011   134   17.8      5.0 247.5  21:00 (180, 39)

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

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