Seiichi Yoshida's Diary of Comet Observations (2019)
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Updated on November 4, 2019 |
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Go to Seiichi Yoshida's Diary of Comet Observations in 2020. |
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2019 Nov. 1-2 (5 comets) |
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I observed 5 comets visually on Nov. 1 and 2 in Kita-karuizawa, Gunma, Japan.
In the evening on Nov. 1, it was almost cloudy. But fortunately, there was a gap of clouds in the southern low sky around the position of C/2018 W2.
Around midnight on Nov. 1, the weather became fine with no clouds. The sky condition was excellent, so the comets and clusters and nebulae looked very well.
On Nov. 2, the condition was bad through thin clouds.
Mira, omicron Cet, looked very bright. I observed it on Nov. 1.595 (UT) as 3.0 mag with naked eyes.
C/2017 T2 ( PanSTARRS )
Nov. 1 11.0 mag Dia. 2.2' DC 6-7 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Strongly condensed and bright. Near by an open cluster M38.
C/2018 N2 ( ASASSN )
Nov. 1 11.5 mag Dia. 2.2' DC 7 Tail 3.5' (p.a. 165 deg) (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Nov. 2 11.8 mag Dia. 1.8' DC 6 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Strongly condensed and bright. Near by Andromeda Galaxy.
On Nov. 1, it looked very nice with a tail.
C/2018 W2 ( Africano )
Nov. 1 about 11.4 mag Dia. 1.8' DC 2 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Nov. 2 10.7 mag Dia. 1.7' DC 1 (40.0-cm reflector 144x)
Hard to see due to the low sky and moon light condition.
On Nov. 1, the magnitude was somewhat uncertain because too close to a 11.7-mag star.
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
Nov. 1 14.2 mag Dia. 0.9' DC 0-1 (40.0-cm reflector 257x)
Toshihiko Ikemura and Hirohisa Sato reported it was bright as 12.6 mag on Oct. 25. So I expected it looked bright. But actually, it was extremely diffuse and faint.
260P/McNaught
Nov. 1 12.1 mag Dia. 1.1' DC 7 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Nov. 2 12.4 mag Dia. 0.8' DC 5 (40.0-cm reflector 144x)
Strongly condensed and bright. But very small.
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I observed 4 comets visually on Sept. 25 in Kita-karuizawa, Gunma, Japan.
C/2018 N2 ( ASASSN )
11.6 mag Dia. 1.7' DC 5 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Bright and well visible.
C/2018 W2 ( Africano )
9.2 mag Dia. 6.5' DC 3 (40.0-cm reflector 36x)
Diffuse but large.
68P/Klemola
13.3 mag Dia. 1.0' DC 3-4 (40.0-cm reflector 257x)
Faint and small.
260P/McNaught
11.7 mag Dia. 1.3' DC 4-5 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Moderately condensed.
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I observed 5 comets visually on Sept. 9 in Kita-karuizawa, Gunma, Japan.
Just after a typhoon has passed, and the weather was fine.
Two comets, C/2018 N2 and 260P, were very close, almost in the same field of view. I enjoyed the rendezvous.
C/2017 T2 ( PanSTARRS )
11.6 mag Dia. 1.8' DC 5 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Small, moderately condensed.
C/2018 N2 ( ASASSN )
11.9 mag Dia. 1.5' DC 7 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Very strongly condensed and sharp. Very close to 260P.
C/2018 W2 ( Africano )
9.6 mag Dia. 6' DC 2 (40.0-cm reflector 36x)
Bright and large. Weakly condensed and diffuse.
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
fainter than 14.0 mag Dia. 1.0' (40.0-cm reflector 257x)
Not visible, although a 15.7 mag star was visible.
260P/McNaught
11.6 mag Dia. 1.7' DC 6 Tail 3.2' (p.a. 225 deg) (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Looks nice with a tail. Very close to C/2018 N2.
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I observed C/2018 N2 and C/2018 W2 visually on Aug. 16 in Kita-karuizawa, Gunma, Japan.
Just after a typhoon has passed, however, there are many clouds. Hard to observe comets due to the strong moon light.
C/2018 N2 ( ASASSN )
12.3 mag Dia. 0.7' DC 4-5 (40.0-cm reflector 144x)
Small but strongly condensed.
C/2018 W2 ( Africano )
11.1 mag Dia. 1.8' DC 2-3 (40.0-cm reflector 144x)
Diffuse.
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I observed 123P visually on May 2-3 in Kita-karuizawa, Gunma, Japan.
Very few visual comets in the Northern Hemisphere now.
123P/West-Hartley
May 2 13.7 mag Dia. 1.1' DC 3 (40.0-cm reflector 144x)
May 3 13.4 mag Dia. 1.4' DC 3 (40.0-cm reflector 144x)
Better visible on May 3 rathern than the previous day.
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I observed 4 comets visually on Feb. 23 in Mt. Hanadate, Ibaraki, Japan.
Before the moon rise, but the sky condition was not so clear.
C/2018 Y1 ( Iwamoto )
8.3 mag Dia. 11' DC 4 (40.0-cm reflector 36x)
7.7 mag Dia. 15' DC 3-4 (10x70 monocular)
Bright and well visible.
38P/Stephan-Oterma
12.6 mag Dia. 1.8' DC 3 (40.0-cm reflector 144x)
It became faint, but still visible well.
46P/Wirtanen
10.2 mag Dia. 4.3' DC 1 (40.0-cm reflector 36x)
It became faint and small.
64P/Swift-Gehrels
12.4 mag Dia. 2.3' DC 1 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
It became diffuse and faint.
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I observed 4 comets visually on Jan. 6 in Mt. Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
C/2018 Y1 ( Iwamoto )
11.6 mag Dia. 2.4' DC 1 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
I could see Iwamoto's comet for the first time, since I missed his past two comets C/2013 E2 and C/2018 V1.
Diffuse, very weakly condensed.
38P/Stephan-Oterma
10.5 mag Dia. 3' DC 6-7 (40.0-cm reflector 75x)
Strongly condensed.
46P/Wirtanen
5.5 mag Dia. 26' DC 2 (10x70 monocular)
It became faint.
60P/Tsuchinshan 2
13.6 mag Dia. 0.6' DC 5 (40.0-cm reflector 144x)
It became brighter than expected. Well condensed.
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Go to Seiichi Yoshida's Diary of Comet Observations in 2018. |