Weekly Information about Bright Comets (1999 June 5: South)

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Updated on June 8, 1999
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Best time and the azimuth, altitude (A,h) are at lat. 35 deg in the Southern Hemisphere.

Please see also the Comet Rendezvous Calendar, Latest Pictures of Comets.

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* C/1999 H1 ( Lee )

Image: 1999 May 20
In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be in the evening sky as 7 mag until mid June. Then it will appear at dawn as 7 mag in late July. After that, it will fade while being higher.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   8 30.10    7 45.8   1.155   1.005    54    7.3     55.6 345.4  18:25 (129, 31)  
June 12   8 24.01   13 21.9   1.294   0.916    44    7.2     44.7 344.4  18:25 (126, 22)  

* C/1998 T1 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 May 20
It was 12.1 mag by CCD on May 20 and 11.8 mag even visually on May 19. So it must be about 2-3 mag fainter than this ephemeris.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  23 18.65  -11 37.0   1.135   1.496    88    9.0     39.9 217.9   5:31 (212, 63)  
June 12  23  2.70  -16 15.8   0.915   1.480    99    8.5     66.5 221.2   5:34 (187, 71)  

* (3200) Phaethon

Image: 1999 Feb. 6
Mother asteroid of Geminids. Now it is too close to the sun and not observable. It will appear at dawn as 14 mag in late June.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   5 33.71   19 25.6   1.038   0.191    10   11.1      9.6 357.8  18:25 (108, -8)  
June 12   4 39.69   25 19.9   0.866   0.213     9   10.9    134.0 295.4   5:34 (247,-12)  

* 4P/Faye

Image: 1998 Dec. 13
Not observable. It will appear again in September as 13 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   4 18.86   17 33.1   2.679   1.684     8   11.6     42.4  83.7   5:31 (255, -9)  
June 12   4 39.42   18  0.5   2.686   1.698    10   11.7     41.9  85.4   5:34 (253, -7)  

* C/1995 O1 ( Hale-Bopp )


Only southern people can observe it. Norhtern people can never see it again.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   5 43.05  -62 54.1   8.581   8.570    86   12.0      6.4  89.2  18:25 ( 33, 33)  
June 12   5 49.65  -62 55.5   8.631   8.624    86   12.0      6.5  94.7  18:25 ( 32, 31)  

* C/1998 M5 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 May 20
In the Northern Hemisphere, it gets low in late June. After conjunction, it will appear again at dawn in mid October as 14.5 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   9  5.72   30 16.6   2.799   2.403    57   12.0     26.9 153.1  18:25 (150, 18)  
June 12   9 12.26   27 35.3   2.946   2.461    52   12.3     25.3 150.7  18:25 (145, 18)  

* 37P/Forbes

Image: 1999 May 20
Beginning to be higher in the Northern Hemisphere. It will be 13-14 mag until September under good condition.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  23 30.53   -7 34.1   1.202   1.486    83   13.0     37.4  59.9   5:31 (214, 59)  
June 12  23 45.10   -5 24.8   1.180   1.505    86   13.0     34.8  58.7   5:34 (205, 58)  

* C/1997 BA6 ( Spacewatch )

Image: 1998 Dec. 5
Only southern people can observe it. It will appear again in 2000 August as 13 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   8  3.31  -44 52.5   3.831   3.797    80   13.2      7.0  95.0  18:25 ( 60, 52)  
June 12   8  8.27  -45  0.8   3.843   3.770    78   13.1      8.3 102.4  18:25 ( 59, 48)  

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

Image: 1999 May 20
Small outburst happened and it looked stellar as 14.5 mag on June 5.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  14 50.86  -27 46.7   5.244   6.162   152   13.5      5.7 296.8  21:56 (180, 83)  
June 12  14 48.38  -27 28.7   5.294   6.160   145   13.5      5.0 300.7  21:26 (180, 82)  

* 10P/Tempel 2

Image: 1999 Apr. 14
It is getting brighter. It was about 15 mag in mid May.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  17 24.41   -4 36.2   0.769   1.758   160   14.0     10.0 248.0   0:34 (180, 60)  
June 12  17 19.64   -5 12.0   0.728   1.723   162   13.6     12.7 239.0   0:01 (180, 60)  

* P/1998 U3 ( Jager )

Image: 1999 May 12
It will be too low to observe in June. After appearing again at dawn in December, it will be lower than 20 deg in the Northern Hemisphere.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   8 53.66    7 44.6   2.613   2.285    60   14.2     29.0 112.5  18:25 (134, 35)  
June 12   9  6.27    6 26.1   2.699   2.309    56   14.3     29.2 112.8  18:25 (130, 34)  

* C/1999 H3 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 May 20
Although it will be low in October and November, Northern people can observe it as 14 mag until 2000 April. Then they can trace it until July as the comet gets low at dusk as 16.5 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  17 30.24   57 19.3   3.240   3.556    99   14.4     31.5 285.5   0:40 (180, -2)  
June 12  17  3.35   57 59.0   3.242   3.543    98   14.3     31.2 276.1  23:39 (180, -3)  

* C/1997 J2 ( Meunier-Dupouy )

Image: 1998 Dec. 13
Although it is getting higher in the morning sky, it will be only 18 deg high in July in the Northern Hemisphere.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  23 27.36  -28 53.3   5.030   5.185    93   14.4     10.2 161.3   5:31 (250, 75)  
June 12  23 28.81  -30  3.6   4.970   5.233    99   14.4     10.6 168.6   5:34 (239, 81)  

* 102P/Shoemaker 1


Not yet observed in this return. We can observe it until November as 15-16 mag. But it should be much fainter than the ephemeris.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   2 25.26   29 56.3   2.861   2.088    33   15.1     33.7  59.0   5:31 (229,  4)  
June 12   2 40.92   31 54.7   2.842   2.107    35   15.1     33.1  59.8   5:34 (225,  4)  

* 140P/Bowell-Skiff

Image: 1999 May 1
It will be low in late June.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   9 24.42   15  2.8   2.190   1.984    64   15.2     33.9 110.7  18:25 (147, 33)  
June 12   9 39.77   13 36.4   2.255   1.993    62   15.3     34.4 111.5  18:25 (143, 33)  

* C/1999 A1 ( Tilbrook )

Image: 1999 Jan. 16
Only southern people can observe it. It will appear at dawn also for Norhtern observers. The brightness after late February is unknown.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  17 22.12  -52 13.0   1.324   2.258   149   15.3     53.5 304.2   0:33 (  0, 73)  
June 12  16 52.46  -48 28.0   1.395   2.350   154   15.6     49.5 311.8  23:28 (  0, 77)  

* C/1999 K8 ( LINEAR )


New comet. Because it is far away, it keeps 15 mag until late 2000, while Northern people can observe it under good condition.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  21 39.05   35 28.5   5.046   5.155    90   15.6      6.7  28.4   4:47 (180, 20)  
June 12  21 40.59   36  8.3   4.957   5.137    94   15.6      5.8  21.6   4:21 (180, 19)  

* C/1999 J2 ( Skiff )

Image: 1999 May 17
New comet. Because it is extremely far away, it keeps 15 mag until late 2000, while Northern people can observe it under good condition.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  16 27.03   62 52.4   7.390   7.538    94   15.6     10.2 245.2  23:31 (180, -8)  
June 12  16 17.80   62 17.9   7.399   7.533    93   15.6     10.5 238.3  22:55 (180, -7)  

* 84P/Giclas


Not yet observed in this return. Now is the chance for the first observation. We can observe it as 14 mag from summer though winter under good condition.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   1 11.15    1 49.9   2.339   1.979    56   15.8     35.0  71.5   5:31 (236, 36)  
June 12   1 26.69    3  6.6   2.265   1.958    59   15.7     35.1  72.1   5:34 (231, 38)  

* C/1999 K5 ( LINEAR )


New comet. The perihelion passage is in 2000 July, when it will be 13.5 mag. But the comet is in the southern sky. Northern people can observe it until October as 15 mag.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  19 36.63  -10 56.7   4.065   4.874   138   15.9     11.8 231.0   2:45 (180, 66)  
June 12  19 31.89  -11 51.3   3.950   4.830   146   15.8     13.5 232.5   2:13 (180, 67)  

* 95P/(2060) Chiron

Image: 1999 Apr. 14
It was about 16.5 mag in March and April, a bit fainter than the ephemeris.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  15 53.89  -16  5.2   8.494   9.479   165   16.0      4.2 284.0  22:59 (180, 71)  
June 12  15 51.99  -15 58.5   8.539   9.490   158   16.0      3.9 283.4  22:30 (180, 71)  

* 50P/Arend


Not yet observed in this return. Now is the chance for the first observation. We can observe it as 15 mag from summer though winter under good condition.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   2  4.24   18 15.1   2.673   1.990    39   16.1     36.1  59.6   5:31 (234, 15)  
June 12   2 19.74   20 21.7   2.615   1.974    41   16.0     36.3  60.2   5:34 (230, 16)  

* C/1999 K6 ( LINEAR )


New comet. It will keep over 60 deg high until late November, when it will be 18 mag, so we can observe its fading out under good condition.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  18 59.10   17 57.2   1.546   2.320   128   16.1     32.3 350.8   2:08 (180, 37)  
June 12  18 55.97   21 35.3   1.519   2.302   129   16.0     31.2 346.3   1:37 (180, 34)  

* P/1988 V1 ( Ge-Wang )


First return. Bright and now is the chance to recover. It is already observable in the Southern Hemisphere. Even in the Northern Hemisphere, the comet will be higher after this. It will be brightening slowly and reach to 15 mag in September.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   0 31.87    5 22.9   2.764   2.501    64   16.2     24.7  73.9   5:31 (224, 39)  
June 12   0 42.85    6  9.0   2.687   2.498    68   16.1     23.9  74.7   5:34 (218, 41)  

* C/1998 U5 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 May 7
Fading as expected. Observation is hard because it is in the Milky Way.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  18 47.18   15 24.0   1.823   2.618   132   16.2     46.9 258.3   1:57 (180, 40)  
June 12  18 24.91   14  6.2   1.840   2.693   139   16.3     47.8 254.8   1:07 (180, 41)  

* C/1999 J3 ( LINEAR )


New comet. It will close to the earth down to 0.4 AU in October and reach to 11 mag. In the Northern Hemisphere, people can observe it until mid November. But because the comet is moving southwards, it will just over the horizon after the approach to the earth. It will not be obesrvable after 2000 February. On the other hand, southern people cannot see it until the approach.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  12 23.85   78  8.2   2.079   2.023    72   16.6     29.9 261.0  19:26 (180,-23)  
June 12  11 24.82   77  2.3   2.085   1.944    67   16.5     27.5 243.0  18:25 (179,-22)  

* C/1999 K3 ( LINEAR )


New comet. Although it is very high, it fades out rapidly as 17.5 mag in late June, 18.5 mag in late July. It was just 18 arcmin from C/1999 K6 (LINEAR) on May 20 at 22h (UT).
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  18 22.17   20 24.6   1.458   2.263   131   16.9     55.1 314.2   1:32 (180, 35)  
June 12  18  2.18   24 30.0   1.509   2.308   131   17.0     50.4 309.0   0:44 (180, 31)  

* C/1999 K2 ( Ferris )


New comet. It will be over 45 deg high and 17 mag until mid November.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  20 41.41   -5 40.6   4.675   5.282   121   17.1     11.3 315.8   3:50 (180, 61)  
June 12  20 37.37   -4 44.4   4.574   5.271   128   17.0     12.3 310.4   3:18 (180, 60)  

* C/1998 M2 ( LINEAR )

Image: 1999 Mar. 12
No observations reported since it appeared at dawn, except for Ageo Survey team's one on Mar. 12 (16.4 mag).
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5   0 30.68   57 52.5   4.468   4.021    57   17.3     15.7  46.5   5:31 (196, -7)  
June 12   0 40.46   59  6.9   4.481   4.069    59   17.4     14.8  44.8   5:34 (193, -7)  

* 105P/Singer Brewster


It was observed for the first time in this return on Apr. 12, but the brightness is unknown. Now is the peak on the brightness.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  18  4.61   -7  5.1   1.114   2.084   156   17.5      9.0 298.4   1:14 (180, 62)  
June 12  18  0.54   -6 40.3   1.110   2.096   160   17.5      9.7 286.7   0:42 (180, 62)  

* C/1998 M1 ( LINEAR )


It was 17.5 mag on May 13. It seems to be fading a bit rapidly.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  22 14.21   10 35.7   3.545   3.757    94   17.7     10.2  31.4   5:22 (180, 44)  
June 12  22 16.35   11 34.5   3.491   3.794    99   17.8      8.9  24.5   4:57 (180, 43)  

* 134P/Kowal-Vavrova


No observations reported since last May, although it is already high enough for observation.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  18 57.58  -16 48.7   2.106   3.025   149   17.8      6.6 276.2   2:06 (180, 72)  
June 12  18 54.00  -16 45.0   2.093   3.053   156   17.9      8.0 272.3   1:35 (180, 72)  

* C/1999 J4 ( LINEAR )


New comet. It will be 18.0 mag at 60 deg high in next winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  15  8.74   48 23.1   3.671   4.063   105   18.2     21.0 284.1  22:13 (180,  7)  
June 12  14 54.77   48 49.3   3.723   4.045   101   18.2     19.3 277.6  21:32 (180,  6)  

* C/1999 K7 ( LINEAR )


New comet. It fades out rapidly as 19 mag in late June, 20 mag in late July.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  17 42.52   17 32.9   1.739   2.584   137   18.3     58.0 258.7   0:53 (180, 37)  
June 12  17 14.92   15 57.4   1.754   2.622   140   18.4     58.0 254.5  23:50 (180, 39)  

* (5145) Pholus

Image: 1999 Jan. 30
A Centaur asteroid. The perihelion passage is in 1991. It will keep 18 mag until around 2000.
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
June  5  14  7.85   14 42.5  13.555  14.169   125   18.4      2.1 251.7  21:13 (180, 40)  
June 12  14  6.95   14 36.8  13.657  14.188   119   18.4      1.9 240.8  20:45 (180, 40)  

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