Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2011 Apr. 30: North)

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Updated on May 4, 2011
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Best time and the azimuth, altitude (A,h) are at lat. 35 deg in the Northern Hemisphere.
Azimuth indicates 0 for south, 90 for west, 180 for north, 270 for east.

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* C/2011 C1 ( McNaught )

Brightened very rapidly. Now it is so bright as 8.6 mag (Apr. 13, Juan Jose Gonzalez). It approaches to the sun down to 0.88 A.U. in mid April, and it keeps 9-10 mag until mid May. It keeps observable until it fades out, although it keeps locating somewhat low in the morning sky. However, because it is a tiny comet, it may fade out very rapidly.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  23 15.71    8 25.8   1.217   0.911    47    9.9   3:38 (271, 16)  
May   7  23 43.09   10 18.0   1.293   0.949    46   10.5   3:28 (268, 15)  

* C/2009 P1 ( Garradd )

Now it is 11.5 mag (Apr. 13, Chris Wyatt). It is expected to keep so bright as 6-8 mag for a long time from 2011 to 2012, and to be observable in good condition in the Northern Hemisphere. Now it locates high in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also appearing in the morning sky in the Northern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  22 57.14  -10  0.4   3.788   3.357    57   11.2   3:38 (288,  8)  
May   7  22 59.27   -8 50.1   3.615   3.288    63   11.0   3:28 (290, 12)  

* 249P/2011 A4 ( LINEAR )

Tiny short periodic comet. Now it locates very close to the Sun, only 0.5 A.U. from the Sun. It was expected to be 17 mag at best originally, because its brightness behaves similar to an asteroid. But actually, it became so bright as 12.8 mag (Apr. 15, Chris Wyatt). It was 9 mag in the STEREO satellite images in early April. However, it will never be observable again in this apparition.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30   1 15.42   11 24.8   1.465   0.591    17   12.7   3:38 (251, -7)  
May   7   1 50.47   14 24.6   1.591   0.674    15   13.8   3:28 (246, -8)  

* C/2009 F4 ( McNaught )

Now it is very bright as 13.2 mag (Apr. 23, Artyom Novichonok). It will be 12 mag visually. It keeps bright as 13-14 mag for a long time after this until 2013. It is not observable in the Northern Hemisphere, but it is observable in good condition in the Southern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  15  4.50  -81 59.6   5.285   5.746   112   13.6   0:39 (  0,-27)  
May   7  14 22.71  -82 37.8   5.246   5.730   113   13.6  23:20 (  0,-28)  

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

Now it is bright as 11.3 mag and visible visually (Apr. 27, Juan Jose Gonzalez).

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  10 41.98    1 30.8   5.661   6.254   122   13.7  20:17 (  3, 56)  
May   7  10 41.57    1 36.2   5.759   6.255   115   13.8  20:25 ( 19, 55)  

* C/2010 G2 ( Hill )

Now it is 13.2 mag and visible visually (Apr. 26, Juan Jose Gonzalez). It will brighten up to 12 mag in autumn. In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable for a long time until 2012 spring. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is not observable until November. A small outburst occured and it brightened by 2 mag on 2010 Aug. 31 (Bernhard Haeusler). Recent brightening is somewhat slower than expected.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  19 25.37   80 48.1   2.477   2.473    78   14.1   3:38 (184, 44)  
May   7  20  2.73   84 54.3   2.491   2.426    74   14.1   3:28 (183, 40)  

* 213P/2009 B3 ( Van Ness )

First return of a new periodic comet which brightened up to 13 mag in a major outburst in 2005. When appearing in the morning sky in early April, it was unexpectedly bright as 14.3 mag (Apr. 5, Hidetaka Sato). It keeps bright after that, as 14.3 mag (Apr. 15, Hidetaka Sato). It will be getting higher gradually after this, and will be observable in an excellent condition from summer to winter. It may be visible at 13 mag again. However, if it has just brightened temporarily in outburst, it may fade out very rapidly.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  21 54.19  -15 20.7   2.202   2.150    73   14.2   3:38 (303, 16)  
May   7  22  5.88  -13 54.9   2.123   2.143    77   14.1   3:28 (303, 19)  

* 9P/Tempel 1

Now it is 14.9 mag (Apr. 29, Artyom Novichonok). It will be fading after this. The condition in this apparition is bad. It locates high in the Southern Hemisphere, however, it keeps extremely low until May in the Northern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  22 50.74  -16  1.4   2.088   1.836    61   14.2   3:38 (294,  6)  
May   7  23  4.68  -15  9.4   2.063   1.872    64   14.4   3:28 (294,  7)  

* (596) Scheila

Big asteroid discovered in 1906. It suddenly showed the cometary activity on Dec. 11, probably due to an impact of a small object. It was very bright as 11.5 mag visually (Dec. 17, Juan Jose Gonzalez). It had a dust coma still on Jan. 9 (Joseph Brimacombe). Now it is stellar at 13.8 mag (Apr. 5, Juan Jose Gonzalez).

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30   9 11.25   32 34.6   2.685   2.887    91   14.4  20:17 ( 90, 70)  
May   7   9 16.49   31 43.4   2.764   2.875    85   14.4  20:25 ( 92, 63)  

* C/2006 S3 ( LONEOS )

Now it is 15.2 mag (Apr. 9, Katsumi Yoshimoto). It will be observable at 13-14 mag for a long time from 2011 to 2012.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  20 24.47   -4 53.6   5.655   5.776    91   14.5   3:38 (314, 39)  
May   7  20 21.30   -4 47.0   5.505   5.753    99   14.4   3:28 (320, 42)  

* C/2009 Y1 ( Catalina )

It reached up to 13.3 mag, much brighter than originally expected, and visible visually (Jan. 24, Juan Jose Gonzalez). Now it is fading slowly. It will be higher after this, and observable at 15 mag in good condition until autumn.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  23 37.65   16  2.0   3.384   2.703    40   14.8   3:38 (261, 15)  
May   7  23 42.60   15 18.3   3.335   2.731    45   14.9   3:28 (263, 17)  

* 240P/2010 P1 ( NEAT )

It reached up to 14.0 mag and became visible visually in December (Dec. 17, Juan Jose Gonzalez). Then it has been fading, and faded down to 18.3 mag on Mar. 31 (Yasukazu Ikari). However, it brightened up to 16 mag in outburst on Apr. 5. Then it keeps brightening and reached up to 15.0 mag now (Apr. 25, Hidetaka Sato). It locates low in the Southern Hemisphere. It will be getting lower gradually after this in the Northern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30   7 42.86   40 56.2   2.766   2.639    72   14.9  20:17 (113, 54)  
May   7   7 55.40   40 16.1   2.871   2.668    68   15.0  20:25 (113, 49)  

* C/2010 X1 ( Elenin )

It will approach to the sun down to 0.5 A.U. in September, and it is expected to brighten up to 6 mag. Now it is 13.7 mag and visible visually (Apr. 26, Juan Jose Gonzalez). In the Southern Hemisphere, it keeps observable until early September when it becomes 7 mag. In the Northern Hemisphere, it becomes unobservable in August. But after appearing in the morning sky in October, it becomes observable in the excellent condition at midnight.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  10 38.86    6 57.7   1.829   2.485   119   15.3  20:17 (  5, 62)  
May   7  10 33.69    7 29.6   1.827   2.387   111   15.1  20:25 ( 26, 60)  

* C/2010 B1 ( Cardinal )

It reached up to 13.5 mag and visible visually in winter (Feb. 4, Juan Jose Gonzalez). Now it is fading, but still bright as 15.3 mag (Apr. 23, Artyom Novichonok). In the Southern Hemisphere, it becomes low temporarily in May and June, but it keeps observable for a long time. It will never be observable again in the Northern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30   4 47.75  -19 31.7   3.625   3.053    48   15.6  20:17 ( 74,-11)  
May   7   4 52.37  -20  9.4   3.673   3.073    46   15.7  20:25 ( 77,-18)  

* C/2006 W3 ( Christensen )

It reached up to 7.7 mag in 2009 summer (2009 Aug. 13, Chris Wyatt). Now it is fading, but still bright as 13.9 mag (Mar. 29, Artyom Novichonok). It will never be observable again in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in good condition until 2011 autumn when it becomes fainter than 18 mag.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  17 53.46  -62 55.5   6.082   6.640   119   15.8   3:25 (  0, -8)  
May   7  17 43.34  -63 42.0   6.062   6.689   124   15.9   2:47 (  0, -9)  

* C/2011 A3 ( Gibbs )

Now it is 16.0 mag (Apr. 3, M. Jaeger, E. Prosperi, S. Prosperi, W. Vollmann). It keeps 15 mag from 2011 summer to 2012 summer. But it is not observable around the perihelion. It is observable in good condition in the Northern Hemisphere in 2011, and in the Southern Hemisphere in 2012.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  13 17.94   27 47.8   2.633   3.415   134   15.9  22:45 (  0, 83)  
May   7  13 14.57   27 50.7   2.631   3.364   129   15.9  22:14 (  0, 83)  

* C/2008 FK75 ( Lemmon-Siding Spring )

Now it is 16.0 mag (Apr. 2, Artyom Novichonok). It will be fading very slowly after this. In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable for a long time until 2012 spring when it fades down to 17-18 mag. It will not be observable in the Southern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  22 18.18   43 37.4   5.250   4.826    60   15.9   3:38 (240, 42)  
May   7  22 24.88   44 34.4   5.231   4.846    62   15.9   3:28 (239, 44)  

* 103P/Hartley 2

It approached to the earth down to 0.12 A.U. and brightened up to 4.6 mag in October (Oct. 18, Juan Jose Gonzalez). It was very large, double of the full moon, and very bright, visible with naked eyes. Now it is fading. It has already faded down to 14.9 mag (Apr. 23, Artyom Novichonok). It will be getting lower after this, and will be unobservable in June.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30   8 25.61    5  9.5   2.210   2.402    88   16.0  20:17 ( 56, 46)  
May   7   8 35.15    5 14.8   2.352   2.460    84   16.3  20:25 ( 62, 41)  

* 123P/West-Hartley

Now it is 16.0 mag (Apr. 26, Artyom Novichonok). It keeps 16 mag for a while. In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be getting lower gradually after this, and it will be unobservable in July . In the Southern Hemisphere, it keeps locating low.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30   6 48.00   36 15.3   2.482   2.190    61   16.1  20:17 (110, 42)  
May   7   7  3.94   35 41.9   2.533   2.178    58   16.1  20:25 (111, 38)  

* C/2005 L3 ( McNaught )

It had been bright as 13-14 mag for a long time from 2007 to 2009. Now it is fading slowly, but it is still bright as 16.1 mag (Apr. 28, Artyom Novichonok). It is observable in good condition in the Northern Hemisphere. It locates low in the Southern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  10 41.52   42  0.2   9.623   9.903   103   16.4  20:17 (169, 83)  
May   7  10 38.76   41 43.0   9.762   9.939    97   16.5  20:25 (130, 79)  

* C/2010 FB87 ( WISE-Garradd )

It became much brighter than originally expected, and reached up to 14.2 mag (Feb. 7, Artyom Novichonok). Now it is fading, but still bright as 15.1 mag (Apr. 23, Artyom Novichonok). It is not observable in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is getting lower in the evening sky, and will be unobservable in mid June.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30   5 59.09  -17 36.1   3.695   3.332    61   16.5  20:17 ( 66,  4)  
May   7   6  3.53  -15 32.3   3.813   3.368    56   16.6  20:25 ( 72, -1)  

* C/2010 M1 ( Gibbs )

It is expected to keep 14-15 mag for a long time from 2011 summer to 2012 summer. The condition is good in the Southern Hemisphere, and it keeps observable for a long time. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is observable in the low sky in 2011 spring. But after that, it is not observable until 2012 August. However, this comet was observed only during two days in 2010 June. So the orbital elements are extremely uncertain.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  18 30.46  -31 40.7   3.182   3.815   122   16.8   3:38 (355, 23)  
May   7  18 27.14  -33 14.8   3.037   3.760   129   16.7   3:28 (  0, 22)  

* C/2011 F1 ( LINEAR )

It is expected to be bright as 9 mag from 2012 to 2013. Now it is 16.7 mag (Mar. 23, E. Bryssinck). In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in good condition for a long time until 2012 autumn when the comet brightens up to 10 mag. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is hardly observble before the perihelion passage. But it becomes observable in good condition since 2013 after the perihelion passage.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  11 40.11   66 17.2   6.565   6.702    93   16.8  21:08 (180, 59)  
May   7  11 36.14   65 43.0   6.575   6.648    89   16.8  20:36 (180, 59)  

* 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh

Now it is 17.7 mag (Mar. 7, W. Hasubick). It was observed around 16 mag in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, it keeps observable at 17 mag from spring to autumn. It locates somewhat low in the Northern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  17 39.36  -23  3.7   3.327   4.090   133   16.8   3:10 (  0, 32)  
May   7  17 37.06  -23  9.3   3.263   4.099   141   16.8   2:40 (  0, 32)  

* 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3

Now it is 17.4 mag (Apr. 26, Artyom Novichonok). It brightens up to 12 mag in autumn. But the condition is bad. In the Northern Hemisphere, the altitude will be lower than 20 degree in June when it brightens up to 15 mag, then it will be unobservable in August. After the perihelion passage, it is only observable from December to February in the evening very low sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, it keeps observable for a long time, although it keeps locating extremely low.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30   8 48.88   30 36.2   2.083   2.269    87   17.2  20:17 ( 88, 65)  
May   7   8 53.54   29 48.7   2.116   2.209    81   17.0  20:25 ( 91, 58)  

* C/2009 UG89 ( Lemmon )

Now it is 16.9 mag (Apr. 27, Artyom Novichonok). In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable at 17 mag in good condition until summer. It locates low in the Southern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  17 15.50   37 51.8   3.582   4.101   114   17.0   2:47 (180, 87)  
May   7  17  1.33   39 26.5   3.568   4.119   116   17.1   2:05 (180, 86)  

* 115P/Maury

Now it is 17.6 mag (Apr. 29, Artyom Novichonok). It will brighten up to 16 mag from summer to autumn, and will be observable in good condition.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  16 40.47   -5 40.3   1.539   2.440   146   17.2   2:11 (  0, 49)  
May   7  16 38.72   -4 44.1   1.474   2.410   151   17.1   1:42 (  0, 50)  

* 71P/Clark

Now it is 17.4 mag (Apr. 2, M. Jaeger, E. Prosperi, S. Prosperi, W. Vollmann). It will brighten up to 13 mag in next winter. But the condition of this apparition is bad, and it will not be observable around the perihelion passage. It will be observable until July when it brightens up to 16 mag in the Northern Hemisphere, or until September when it brightens up to 15 mag in the Southern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  10 17.95   22 30.5   2.017   2.526   108   17.3  20:17 ( 30, 76)  
May   7  10 19.16   21 48.0   2.065   2.487   102   17.2  20:25 ( 51, 71)  

* C/2011 G1 ( McNaught )

Now it is 17.3 mag (Apr. 6, Siding Spring Survey). It will be observable in good condition at 17.5 mag in 2011 spring in the Southern Hemisphere, and at 16.5 mag in next winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  12 46.65  -30 30.6   1.710   2.641   151   17.4  22:12 (  0, 25)  
May   7  12 20.18  -26 32.7   1.713   2.591   143   17.3  21:18 (  0, 29)  

* 43P/Wolf-Harrington

It was observed as bright as 13.0 mag in last autumn (Sept. 25, Ken-ichi Kadota). Now it is fading. It has already faded down to 16.8 mag (Apr. 26, Artyom Novichonok). It will be fainter than 18 mag in May.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  12 25.91  -21 23.2   2.168   3.084   150   17.5  21:53 (  0, 34)  
May   7  12 22.76  -20 16.2   2.253   3.126   144   17.7  21:23 (  0, 35)  

* 48P/Johnson

Now it is 17.9 mag (Apr. 13, Artyom Novichonok). It will brighten rapidly, and will be observable at 15 mag in good condition from July to October. It locates somewhat low in the Northern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  20 11.91  -14 41.7   2.186   2.519    97   17.8   3:38 (324, 32)  
May   7  20 19.14  -14 36.9   2.084   2.501   102   17.5   3:28 (326, 34)  

* C/2007 VO53 ( Spacewatch )

Now it is 17.6 mag (Apr. 27, Artyom Novichonok). It is fading slowly. In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in good condition until 2011 summer. It is not observable in the Southern Hemisphere.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  17  7.02   48 17.8   5.224   5.615   107   17.7   2:38 (180, 77)  
May   7  16 59.21   48 18.8   5.227   5.641   109   17.7   2:03 (180, 77)  

* 130P/McNaught-Hughes

Now it is 18.2 mag (Apr. 7, Hidetaka Sato). It will be observable at 17 mag in good condition from summer to autumn.

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Apr. 30  21 34.97  -17 28.8   2.094   2.140    78   18.1   3:38 (308, 18)  
May   7  21 47.82  -16 51.8   2.013   2.130    82   17.9   3:28 (308, 19)  

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