Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2000 May 27: South)

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 Updated on May 28, 2000
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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 S4 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 2000 Feb. 12
It will be 4 mag in 2000 July. In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable until early August. In the Southern Hemisphere, it locates very low between late May and mid June, however, it locates high after late July. It was 11.6 mag visually on May 15. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27   2  3.69   31 24.2   2.113   1.353    31    9.9     11.8  30.1   5:26 (230,  0)  
June  3   2  7.23   32 43.3   1.918   1.253    36    9.4     14.3  28.9   5:30 (225,  3)

* C/1999 T1 ( McNaught-Hartley )
It is expected to be bright as 7 mag in late 2000. Northern people cannot observe it until December. No observations reported since it was observed visually as 14.4 mag on Mar. 9. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27   3 29.83  -31 25.5   3.511   3.027    53   12.5     23.7  94.0   5:26 (295, 20)  
June  3   3 43.14  -31 39.8   3.395   2.950    55   12.4     25.1  95.9   5:30 (293, 24)

* C/1997 BA6 ( Spacewatch )

 Image: 1998 Dec. 5
Only southern people can observe it. Recently it was observed as 12 mag. 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)  
May  27  22 56.99  -49 24.1   3.515   3.819    99   13.0      2.8 269.4   5:26 (323, 71)  
June  3  22 54.31  -49 26.6   3.452   3.847   105   13.0      4.7 262.3   5:30 (337, 74)

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

 Image: 1999 June 12
The altitude will be 23 deg at best in the Northern Hemisphere. Now it is not in outburst. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  17  3.42  -32 16.1   5.076   6.060   164   13.4      6.5 275.9   0:45 (180, 87)  
June  3  16 59.77  -32 10.3   5.057   6.057   169   13.4      6.8 278.3   0:14 (180, 87)

* C/1999 K5 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 1999 July 31
It is only observable in the Southern Hemisphere until the end of 2001. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27   0 29.44  -70  2.9   2.950   3.276    99   13.5     30.5 125.1   5:26 (340, 49)  
June  3   1  6.48  -71 56.9   2.916   3.269   101   13.5     30.5 120.5   5:30 (342, 47)

* C/1995 O1 ( Hale-Bopp )
Only southern people can observe it. Northern people can never see it again. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27   5 23.09  -69 18.6  11.094  11.165    91   13.7      4.9  82.4  18:27 ( 25, 36)  
June  3   5 29.58  -69 15.7  11.133  11.213    91   13.7      5.0  88.1  18:25 ( 25, 34)

* C/1999 K8 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 1999 Dec. 30
Because it is far away, it keeps 14 mag until late 2000. It is lower than 15 deg in May. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27   1  0.81   14  2.7   4.835   4.209    47   14.2     14.4  90.6   5:26 (232, 23)  
June  3   1  7.60   14  0.1   4.760   4.214    52   14.1     13.8  92.4   5:30 (227, 26)

* C/1999 T2 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 2000 Jan. 8
It will be 13 mag at good position in 2000 September. It was reported as 13.5 mag visually. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  22 36.80   48  0.6   3.712   3.515    71   14.3     21.3 340.6   5:26 (189,  6)  
June  3  22 30.82   50 23.5   3.601   3.482    75   14.2     22.9 335.0   5:30 (182,  5)

* 9P/Tempel 1
Very low in the morning sky. It was fainter than 12.0 mag on Feb. 11 by KenIchi Kadota, Ageo. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  23 51.76  -11 45.1   2.093   2.039    72   14.8     22.9  76.4   5:26 (239, 53)  
June  3   0  1.90  -11 10.5   2.058   2.080    77   15.0     20.8  77.6   5:30 (231, 56)

* C/1999 J2 ( Skiff )

 Image: 2000 Jan. 28
It will be observable as 15 mag with a good condition. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  15 47.87   37 15.9   6.542   7.118   121   15.1     10.7 245.5  23:25 (180, 18)  
June  3  15 42.29   36 41.3   6.570   7.120   119   15.1     10.8 240.0  22:52 (180, 18)

* 47P/Ashbrook-Jackson
It will be 14 mag from August to November. But the altitude keeps lower than 20 deg until late August. It was observed as about 16 mag on May 3. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  20 47.11  -34 30.7   2.119   2.767   119   15.4      6.5 116.0   4:28 (180, 90)  
June  3  20 49.78  -34 52.3   2.024   2.743   125   15.2      4.9 132.9   4:03 (180, 90)

* C/1999 Y1 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 2000 Feb. 5
It will reach to 13.5 mag and locate overhead in the evening sky between October and December. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27   3  9.54   49  1.1   5.050   4.211    30   15.8      6.2 100.9   5:26 (224,-20)  
June  3   3 13.77   48 54.5   4.992   4.168    32   15.7      5.8  96.9   5:30 (221,-17)

* C/1999 H3 ( LINEAR )

 Image: 2000 Feb. 17
It will fade out gradually after this, but it can be observed as 17.5 mag in 2001 spring. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  10 47.53   33 13.1   4.308   4.332    84   15.8     13.1 208.4  18:27 (180, 22)  
June  3  10 44.61   31 52.9   4.459   4.368    78   15.9     12.1 200.9  18:25 (173, 23)

* 95P/(2060) Chiron

 Image: 1999 June 12
It keeps over 30 deg high until end of August. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  16 56.24  -17 11.2   9.066  10.065   169   16.3      4.2 280.1   0:38 (180, 72)  
June  3  16 54.21  -17  6.2   9.067  10.077   174   16.3      4.2 279.3   0:08 (180, 72)

* P/2000 G1 ( LINEAR )
New comet with a period of 5.4 years. It must be 12 mag and moving fast in March, when it was 0.1 AU from the earth. Although it was fading out rapidly in April, reported as 16.8 mag in Apr. 23, it was bright as 15.5 mag in May. No observations reported since May 8. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  17 23.51    4 51.4   0.479   1.445   149   16.7     20.1 260.4   1:05 (180, 50)  
June  3  17 14.68    4 16.4   0.532   1.507   152   17.1     18.8 249.8   0:29 (180, 51)

* C/1999 K2 ( Ferris )

 Image: 1999 May 31
Fading gradually. It keeps 17-18 mag at good position until October. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  20 31.04   32 19.6   5.837   6.078    98   17.2     12.3 335.0   4:12 (180, 23)  
June  3  20 27.83   33 35.9   5.794   6.102   102   17.2     12.4 329.2   3:41 (180, 21)

* C/1999 N4 ( LINEAR )
It keeps 17 mag at good position until August. It was bright as 16.4 mag on Apr. 15. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  17 15.03    5  0.1   4.604   5.505   150   17.2     20.2 278.8   0:57 (180, 50)  
June  3  17  5.58    5 19.1   4.590   5.506   151   17.2     20.5 276.6   0:20 (180, 50)

* P/2000 C1 ( Hergenrother )

 Image: 2000 Feb. 11
It was in fact a bit brighter than this ephemeris. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  12  5.39    8 21.4   1.567   2.157   111   17.3     14.6 123.2  19:44 (180, 47)  
June  3  12 11.61    7 22.4   1.647   2.170   106   17.4     16.7 121.9  19:23 (180, 48)

* C/1999 E1 ( Li )

 Image: 2000 Jan. 28
Fading gradually. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  10 15.87   37  5.1   5.390   5.259    77   17.4      6.8 116.2  18:27 (173, 18)  
June  3  10 19.69   36 43.1   5.516   5.291    71   17.4      7.7 115.2  18:25 (169, 17)

* 71P/Clark
It is not observable around the perihelion passage. In July when it will be lower than 20 deg, it reaches only to 16.5 mag. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  10 39.39   18  9.3   2.087   2.297    88   17.5     14.1 131.6  18:27 (177, 37)  
June  3  10 45.08   17  1.2   2.133   2.258    83   17.4     16.2 128.5  18:25 (171, 38)

* C/1999 F2 ( Dalcanton )

 Image: 1999 June 30
It keeps the good condition until autumn. It will fade out gradually. 
Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1    Mot.(') p.a.  Best Time(A, h)  
May  27  17 19.97   29 42.2   6.143   6.798   126   17.6      6.9 307.4   1:02 (180, 25)  
June  3  17 16.97   30  8.1   6.176   6.834   126   17.6      6.5 299.7   0:31 (180, 25)

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