Weekly Information about Bright Comets (2016 Feb. 20: South)

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 Updated on February 20, 2016
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Best time and the azimuth, altitude (A,h) are at lat. 35 deg in the Southern Hemisphere.
Azimuth indicates 0 for south, 90 for west, 180 for north, 270 for east.

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* C/2013 X1 ( PanSTARRS )

Now it is very bright as 8.7 mag (Feb. 14, Thomas Lehmann). It brightened temporarily in outburst in early January, but it returned to the original brightness. It will pass close to the earth from spring to summer, and it is expected to brighten up to 5-6 mag. In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be unobservable in late February. It will appear in the morning sky again in late April, but it locates low in the south around the high light. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is not observable now. But after appearing in the morning sky again in mid April, it will be observable in excellent condition. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  23 35.48    8 16.8   2.384   1.591    28    8.4  20:19 ( 91,-13)  
Feb. 27  23 35.02    7 17.5   2.413   1.536    21    8.2  20:08 ( 87,-16)

* C/2013 US10 ( Catalina )

Now it is 7.8 mag (Feb. 12, Maik Meyer). It was expected to brighten up to 4-5 mag from autumn to winter. But actually, it was 6 mag at best. It will be fading rapidly after this. It is observable in excellent condition in the Northern Hemisphere. It is not observable after this in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   4 14.93   64  7.0   1.380   1.839   100    9.0  20:19 (167,-12)  
Feb. 27   4  9.41   59 49.9   1.591   1.932    94    9.6  20:08 (162, -9)

* C/2014 S2 ( PanSTARRS )

Now it is so bright as 9.2 mag (Feb. 12, Maik Meyer). It is observable at 9-10 mag until spring in excellent condition in the Northern Hemisphere. It keeps unobservable in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  15 46.58   69 41.4   1.832   2.265   102    9.5   4:07 (189,-16)  
Feb. 27  15 12.20   70 50.5   1.829   2.296   105    9.6   4:16 (183,-16)

* C/2014 W2 ( PanSTARRS )

Now it is bright as 12.4 mag (Jan. 9, Seiichi Yoshida). It keeps 12 mag for a long time from 2015 autumn to 2016 summer. In the Northern Hemispehre, it keeps observable in good condition for a long time. It keeps unobservable in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  20 28.71   64 43.4   2.696   2.678    78   12.1   4:07 (211,-34)  
Feb. 27  20 32.18   64 46.0   2.714   2.673    77   12.1   4:16 (210,-30)

* 81P/Wild 2

Now it is 13.2 mag (Feb. 12, Thomas Lehmann). It will brighten up to 11 mag from spring to summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in good condition while the comet will be brightening. It locates somewhat low in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   5  5.24   20 32.7   1.637   2.141   106   12.9  20:19 (160, 32)  
Feb. 27   5  9.72   20 53.1   1.679   2.101   100   12.8  20:08 (157, 31)

* 116P/Wild 4

Now it is 13.3 mag (Jan. 9, Seiichi Yoshida). It will brighten up to 13 mag from winter to spring. It will be observable in excellent condition in the Southern Hemisphere. But it locates somewhat low in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  15 29.21  -19 29.5   1.874   2.205    95   13.4   4:07 (236, 66)  
Feb. 27  15 37.45  -20 11.0   1.802   2.212   100   13.4   4:16 (224, 71)

* 10P/Tempel 2

Now it is 11.8 mag (Jan. 8, Giuseppe Pappa). It will be unobservable soon. It will appear in the morning sky in summer, but it will be fainter than 17 mag. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   0  7.67   -7 53.5   2.530   1.734    29   13.5  20:19 ( 82,  3)  
Feb. 27   0 25.53   -6  1.2   2.597   1.773    27   13.7  20:08 ( 84,  2)

* 22P/Kopff

It is not observable now. It will appear in the morning sky in June. But the comet will be faint as 16-17 mag. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  22 55.95   -9 18.5   2.900   1.940    11   13.7  20:19 ( 71,-11)  
Feb. 27  23 12.03   -7 45.6   2.952   1.979     8   13.9  20:08 ( 72,-12)

* C/2014 Q2 ( Lovejoy )

It brightened up to 3.7 mag and became a naked eye comet in mid January in 2015 (Jan. 13, Marek Biely). Now it is fading. It has already faded down to 14.6 mag (Jan. 26, Ken-ichi Kadota). In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable for a long time until the comet fades out. It is appearing in the morning sky also in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  18 24.31   21  9.4   5.206   4.860    64   13.8   4:07 (238,  7)  
Feb. 27  18 27.10   21 35.6   5.204   4.925    68   13.9   4:16 (233, 12)

* 252P/LINEAR

Now it is 14.0 mag (Feb. 11, Michael Jager). It will pass only 0.036 a.u. from the earth on Mar. 21-22. It is expected to brighten very rapidly and reach up to 11 mag in March. In this apparition, it keeps observable in excellent condition both brightening and fading period. In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be unobservable temporarily in mid March. The orbital elements are similar to those of P/2016 BA14 ( PanSTARRS ). 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   5 47.92  -26 31.0   0.181   1.053   105   14.5  20:19 (140, 80)  
Feb. 27   5 46.07  -30  1.9   0.144   1.025   100   13.9  20:08 (111, 79)

* 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

Appearing in the morning sky in the Southern Hemisphere. It will be observable soon also in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  19 20.97  -26 30.3   6.651   5.962    42   13.9   4:07 (287, 23)  
Feb. 27  19 26.15  -26 19.8   6.570   5.959    48   13.9   4:16 (283, 29)

* 9P/Tempel 1

Now it is 17.9 mag (Jan. 19, Ken-ichi Kadota). It will be observable at 11 mag in good condition from spring to summer. It is much fainter than this ephemeris recently. But it will start brightening rapidly soon. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  12 29.40   16 21.9   1.267   2.158   145   14.9   2:33 (180, 39)  
Feb. 27  12 27.50   17 17.9   1.194   2.119   151   14.5   2:04 (180, 38)

* C/2011 KP36 ( Spacewatch )

Now it is 15.1 mag (Dec. 30, Mitsunori Tsumura). Distant object, but it keeps observable at 14-15 mag for a long time from 2015 to 2016. It becomes unobservable temporarily from January to March in the Southern Hemisphere, or from February to April in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  22 43.58   -4 44.5   5.903   4.934    10   14.8  20:19 ( 72,-16)  
Feb. 27  22 50.79   -4 15.8   5.911   4.927     5   14.8  20:08 ( 71,-18)

* 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

It brightened up to 11.1 mag in 2015 autumn (Sept. 21, Seiichi Yoshida). Now it is 14.5 mag (Feb. 15, Thomas Lehmann). It keeps observable in good condition after this, while the comet will be fading gradually. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  12  7.42   10 20.0   1.488   2.402   151   14.9   2:12 (180, 45)  
Feb. 27  12  0.21   11  4.6   1.503   2.455   159   15.0   1:37 (180, 44)

* 77P/Longmore

Now it is 16.7 mag (Dec. 11, D. Buczynski). It is observable at 14-15 mag in good condition from winter to summer. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  13 44.13   -4 44.9   1.698   2.401   124   15.3   3:48 (180, 60)  
Feb. 27  13 43.41   -5 47.4   1.618   2.390   131   15.1   3:20 (180, 61)

* 53P/Van Biesbroeck

Appearing in the morning sky. It will be observable at 14 mag in good condition from spring to summer. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  18 38.01  -18  1.1   2.985   2.496    51   15.3   4:07 (273, 28)  
Feb. 27  18 51.56  -17 44.3   2.907   2.483    55   15.3   4:16 (270, 32)

* C/2014 W11 ( PanSTARRS )

It brightened very rapidly in 2015 spring, and reached up to 13.8 mag (May 11, Sandor Szabo). It is bright as 14.8 mag still now (Jan. 24, Ken-ichi Kadota). It keeps 15 mag for a while until spring. It is observable in excellent condition in the Southern Hemisphere. But it locates somewhat low in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  14 15.16  -28 45.2   3.450   3.882   108   15.5   4:07 (203, 83)  
Feb. 27  14 16.03  -29 13.8   3.381   3.905   115   15.5   3:52 (180, 84)

* 230P/LINEAR

It kept brightening even after the perihelion passage, and brightened up to 13.0 mag (Dec. 21, Juan Jose Gonzalez). It keeps observable in excellent condition for a while. But it will be fading after this. It has already faded down to 15.4 mag (Jan. 29, Sandor Szabo). 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   5 51.03   25 40.6   1.084   1.772   117   15.7  20:19 (173, 29)  
Feb. 27   6  2.58   26 49.4   1.177   1.809   112   15.9  20:08 (172, 28)

* C/2013 V4 ( Catalina )

Now it is 15.7 mag (Dec. 19, Y. Sugiyama). It keeps 15-16 mag for a long time until 2016. It keeps observable in excellent condition in the Northern Hemisphere. It keeps unobservable in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   2 45.77   72 30.2   5.114   5.285    94   15.8  20:19 (165,-23)  
Feb. 27   2 50.37   72 19.8   5.193   5.296    90   15.8  20:08 (164,-24)

* C/2015 X8 ( NEOWISE )

It passed near by the earth and brightened up to 12.1 mag from mid December to early January (Dec. 20, Thomas Lehmann). It must be fading very rapidly now. No observations have been reported in February. It is observable in excellent condition in the Northern Hemisphere. It is not observable in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   2 55.97   44  4.5   1.923   2.083    84   15.8  20:19 (146, -1)  
Feb. 27   2 56.85   41 51.1   2.136   2.157    77   16.2  20:08 (143, -2)

* C/2015 V2 ( Johnson )

Now it is 16.4 mag (Jan. 15, Thomas Lehmann). It is expected to brighten up to 7 mag in 2017 summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in good condition until the highlight while the comet will be brightening. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is not observable until early 2017. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   6 55.33   63 52.2   5.031   5.555   117   16.0  20:56 (180, -9)  
Feb. 27   6 49.90   63 32.9   5.044   5.495   112   15.9  20:24 (180, -9)

* 332P/LINEAR

First return of an object discovered as an asteroid 2007 VA85 in 2007. Faint tail was observed on Jan. 8 by Hidetaka Sato. It approached to the earth down to 0.5 a.u., and brightened up to 15.3 mag in February (Feb. 10, Katsumi Yoshimoto). It will be fading and getting lower after this. It will be unobservable in mid March in the Southern Hemisphere, or in late April in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   5 18.70   -7 35.9   0.578   1.268   105   16.2  20:19 (150, 58)  
Feb. 27   4 38.11    6 17.3   0.703   1.226    91   16.6  20:08 (140, 39)

* 104P/Kowal 2

Now it is 16.5 mag (Feb. 11, Michael Jager). The brightness differs in every apparition. It was not observed in the last apparition. In this apparition, it was expected to be observable at 14-15 mag from winter to spring. But probably it will be 16 mag at best. It locates extremely low in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   0 37.81    5 56.6   1.845   1.268    40   16.4  20:19 ( 98,  1)  
Feb. 27   1  1.11    7 34.2   1.833   1.239    39   16.2  20:08 (100,  1)

* 65P/Gunn

Now it is 16.9 mag (Nov. 17, J. Nicolas, C. Rinner, F. Kugel, A. Klotz). It will brighten up to 14 mag in 2017. In 2016, it keeps observable at 16 mag in good condition from winter to spring. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  12  1.08   12 35.6   3.002   3.909   152   16.3   2:05 (180, 43)  
Feb. 27  11 57.42   13  7.2   2.948   3.893   159   16.2   1:34 (180, 42)

* 19P/Borrelly

Now it is 15.8 mag (Dec. 7, Yuji Ohshima). In the Northern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in good condition after this while the comet will be fading. It locates low in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  14 22.98   25 51.9   2.324   2.933   118   16.2   4:07 (185, 29)  
Feb. 27  14 20.70   26 53.5   2.307   2.979   124   16.3   3:57 (180, 28)

* C/2006 S3 ( LONEOS )

It brightened up to 11-12 mag in 2012. It has already faded down to 17.2 mag (Dec. 19, Yuji Ohshima). It is observable at 16-17 mag in good condition from winter to spring. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  10 52.89   -6 10.1  10.045  10.977   159   16.3   0:57 (180, 61)  
Feb. 27  10 49.55   -5 52.9  10.055  11.015   165   16.3   0:26 (180, 61)

* P/2003 T12 ( SOHO )

It will approach to the sun down to 0.58 a.u. on Mar. 9, and brighten up to 15 mag. But it is not observable around the perihelion passage. It will appear in the evening sky at 17 mag in late March. But it will fade out very rapidly. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  22 31.27   -8 16.6   1.657   0.681     5   17.4  20:19 ( 68,-16)  
Feb. 27  23 11.53   -5 37.0   1.578   0.620     9   16.3  20:08 ( 74,-13)

* 118P/Shoemaker-Levy 4

Now it is 16.9 mag (Nov. 15, J. Bel). It will brighten up to 14 mag in summer. But it is not observable at the highlight. It keeps observable until March while the comet will be brightening gradually up to 15-16 mag. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   1 44.14    3 20.4   2.595   2.185    55   16.4  20:19 (106, 16)  
Feb. 27   1 56.33    4 37.1   2.638   2.163    51   16.3  20:08 (106, 14)

* C/2014 N3 ( NEOWISE )

Now it is 15.3 mag (Dec. 13, D. Buczynski). It kept 15 mag for a long time from 2014 to 2015. But it will be fading slowly after this. It keeps observable for a long time in the Northern Hemisphere, although it becomes low in spring. It will not be observable after this in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   0 53.20   47  8.2   5.138   4.868    68   16.4  20:19 (135,-20)  
Feb. 27   0 58.97   47 38.3   5.247   4.903    64   16.5  20:08 (134,-21)

* C/2015 T4 ( PanSTARRS )

Now it is 16.9 mag (Dec. 13, K. Hills). It keeps 16-17 mag for a long time until 2016 autumn. In the Southern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in good condition for a long time. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is observable only until March. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   3 38.90  -28 25.2   2.678   2.652    77   16.6  20:19 ( 90, 56)  
Feb. 27   3 38.79  -28 33.3   2.725   2.615    73   16.6  20:08 ( 87, 52)

* C/2014 Q1 ( PanSTARRS )

It approached to the sun down to 0.3 a.u. on July 6, 2015, and brighted up to 3.9 mag (July 6, Thomas Lehmann). Now it is fading. It has already faded down to 12.9 mag in October (Oct. 3, Chris Wyatt). No observations have been reported since November. In the Southern Hemisphere, it keeps observable until the comet fades out. It will not be observable after this in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  19 54.26  -58 47.8   4.318   3.821    53   16.6   4:07 (323, 30)  
Feb. 27  20  5.32  -59 13.7   4.336   3.904    58   16.7   4:16 (322, 34)

* C/2015 B2 ( PanSTARRS )

Now it is 17.0 mag (Nov. 3, A. Maury, J.-F. Soulier, J.-G. Bosch, T. Noel). It keeps 16.5 mag for a long time in 2016, and it will be observable in excellent condition in the Southern Hemisphere. It is hardly observable in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   3 56.77  -55 37.9   3.498   3.445    78   16.6  20:19 ( 39, 58)  
Feb. 27   3 47.39  -53 30.5   3.541   3.432    75   16.6  20:08 ( 45, 55)

* C/2015 YG1 ( NEOWISE )

Now it is 16.5 mag (Dec. 20, Michael Jager). It must have been observable at 16-17 mag in good condition from summer to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, but it was not discovered. It will be fading after this, and will be fainter than 18 mag in April. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  11 49.30   32 13.7   1.705   2.603   149   16.8   1:54 (180, 23)  
Feb. 27  11 33.89   31  5.8   1.722   2.648   154   16.9   1:11 (180, 24)

* C/2015 X4 ( Elenin )

Now it is bright as 16.0 mag (Jan. 29, Sandor Szabo). It keeps observable in good condition for a while. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   5 35.87   12 36.9   3.008   3.515   113   16.9  20:19 (166, 41)  
Feb. 27   5 38.30   12 13.8   3.116   3.530   106   16.9  20:08 (162, 41)

* 204P/LINEAR-NEAT

Now it is 16.8 mag (Dec. 18, Space Surveillance Telescope, Atom Site). It will be fading after this, and will be fainter than 18 mag in Apri. It locates somewhat low in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   8 13.84   25 11.9   1.106   2.019   149   16.9  22:15 (180, 30)  
Feb. 27   8 13.88   25 30.1   1.163   2.037   142   17.0  21:47 (180, 30)

* 211P/Hill

Now it is 17.0 mag (Dec. 16, Purple Mountain Observatory). It will be fading after this, and will be fainter than 18 mag in Apri. It locates somewhat low in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   7 48.61   27 16.0   1.489   2.356   143   17.1  21:49 (180, 28)  
Feb. 27   7 47.51   28 10.3   1.547   2.359   135   17.2  21:21 (180, 27)

* 180P/NEAT

Now it is 18.3 mag (Nov. 15, Hidetaka Sato). It keeps observable at 17 mag in good condition from winter to spring. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  15  5.30    2 10.6   2.066   2.529   106   17.1   4:07 (204, 50)  
Feb. 27  15  9.58    2 17.6   1.995   2.538   111   17.1   4:16 (192, 52)

* P/2016 BA14 ( PanSTARRS )

Now it is 18.6 mag (Feb. 13, M. M. Knight, M. S. P. Kelley, S. Protopapa, M. Micheli). It will pass only 0.024 a.u. from the earth on Mar. 23. It is expected to brighten very rapidly and reach up to 12 mag in March. It is observable in excellent condition in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it keeps observable in excellent condition until mid March, but it will be low after that. The orbital elements are similar to those of 252P/LINEAR. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   5 43.72  -36 15.2   0.245   1.064   101   17.7  20:19 ( 78, 83)  
Feb. 27   5 46.28  -35 25.6   0.195   1.038    98   17.1  20:08 ( 85, 80)

* C/2015 W1 ( Gibbs )

Now it is 17.5 mag (Dec. 17, Space Surveillance Telescope, Atom Site). It keeps observable at 17-18 mag until summer in the Northern Hemispehre. It is not observable after March in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   6 24.90   42 34.9   1.771   2.444   122   17.1  20:25 (180, 12)  
Feb. 27   6 11.76   44 52.3   1.850   2.413   112   17.2  20:08 (176, 10)

* 329P/2015 T1 ( LINEAR-Catalina )

First return of a periodic comet discovered in 2003. It brightened up to 15.1 mag in December (Dec. 17, Space Surveillance Telescope, Atom Site). Now it is fading. It will be fainter than 18 mag in March. It is observable in excellent 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)  
Feb. 20   5 20.22   36 10.2   1.260   1.855   110   17.2  20:19 (168, 18)  
Feb. 27   5 33.12   37 10.5   1.354   1.889   106   17.5  20:08 (167, 16)

* C/2010 S1 ( LINEAR )

It was observed as bright as 13-14 mag for a long time from 2011 to 2014. Now it is fading. It is observable in excellent condition in the Southern Hemisphere. It locates extremely low in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  18 12.37  -31 35.1   9.499   9.018    58   17.2   4:07 (285, 39)  
Feb. 27  18 13.27  -31 54.1   9.425   9.052    65   17.2   4:16 (282, 46)

* 100P/Hartley 1

It has not been observed in this apparition yet. It will brighten up to 16 mag from March to June. It is observable in excellent condition in the Southern Hemisphere. It locates somewhat low in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  15 30.07  -10 41.3   1.655   2.037    97   17.5   4:07 (224, 59)  
Feb. 27  15 37.59  -12 18.8   1.570   2.029   102   17.3   4:16 (214, 64)

* 331P/2015 Y2 ( Ikeya-Murakami )

First return of a periodic comet which brightened up to 8 mag in major outburst in 2010. It will be observable in excellent condition from winter to spring. However, now it is faint; the fragment A is 17.8 mag (Feb. 8, Ken-ichi Kadota), the fragment B is 19.0 mag (Feb. 11, Michael Jager), the fragment C is 17.0 mag (Feb. 8, Ken-ichi Kadota). It will be 17 mag at best in this apparition. Fragments D to I are also observed in early February. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   8 48.77   34 12.5   0.657   1.593   150   17.4  22:49 (180, 21)  
Feb. 27   8 46.75   32 39.2   0.667   1.584   145   17.3  22:20 (180, 23)

* 194P/LINEAR

It has not been observed yet in this apparition. It tends to be brightest after the perihelion passage. It is observable at 17 mag in excellent condition until March 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)  
Feb. 20   5 31.38   38 13.4   1.054   1.702   112   17.3  20:19 (171, 16)  
Feb. 27   5 44.99   36 58.8   1.098   1.698   108   17.4  20:08 (170, 17)

* C/2014 B1 ( Schwartz )

Now it is 16.9 mag (Dec. 19, Y. Sugiyama). It keeps 17.5 mag for a long time from 2016 to 2019. It keeps locating near by the equator. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   8  0.03    0 40.2   9.229  10.063   145   17.4  22:01 (180, 54)  
Feb. 27   7 58.89    0 59.1   9.274  10.051   139   17.4  21:32 (180, 54)

* C/2015 Y1 ( LINEAR )

Now it is 17.8 mag (Dec. 18, Hidetaka Sato). It keeps observable at 17.5 mag in good condition until April. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   8 26.15   13 33.0   1.749   2.675   154   17.5  22:26 (180, 41)  
Feb. 27   8 19.02   17 15.8   1.776   2.651   145   17.5  21:52 (180, 38)

* C/2015 X7 ( ATLAS )

Now it is 17.6 mag (Dec. 17, A. Hidas). It keeps 17-18 mag for a long time until 2017 spring. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   6 34.56  -18  6.9   3.377   3.954   119   17.6  20:35 (180, 73)  
Feb. 27   6 33.93  -16 10.2   3.411   3.932   114   17.6  20:08 (179, 71)

* C/2013 G9 ( Tenagra )

It brightened up to 16 mag in early 2015. Now it is 18.1 mag (Dec. 12, ATLAS-HKO, Haleakala). It is observable at 18 mag from winter to spring. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   9 30.13  -23 35.0   5.274   6.100   143   17.7  23:30 (180, 79)  
Feb. 27   9 21.88  -22 57.0   5.301   6.124   143   17.7  22:54 (180, 78)

* C/2015 ER61 ( PanSTARRS )

Now it is 17.9 mag (Jan. 23, T. Vorobjov). The cometary activity is confirmed recently. It is expected to brighten up to 7 mag in 2017 spring. But it locates somewhat low at the high light. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  11 48.78   -5 57.0   4.667   5.546   150   17.8   1:53 (180, 61)  
Feb. 27  11 45.33   -5 38.9   4.552   5.481   157   17.7   1:22 (180, 61)

* C/2010 U3 ( Boattini )

It will pass the perihelion in 2019. However, it has not been brightening since the discovery in 2010. Now it is 17.6 mag (Dec. 3, D. Buczynski). It keeps observable in excellent condition in the Northern Hemisphere, although it becomes low temporarily in May. It is not observable in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20   3  9.46   46 48.2  10.578  10.590    88   17.7  20:19 (150, -2)  
Feb. 27   3 10.73   46 45.8  10.659  10.567    82   17.8  20:08 (148, -4)

* 269P/2012 R2 ( Jedicke )

It brightened up to 15.2 mag in early 2015 (Feb. 24, Toshiyuki Takahashi). Now it is 17.5 mag (Dec. 6, Catalina Sky Survey). It will be fainter than 18 mag in April. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  11 35.25   -5 58.2   3.900   4.801   152   17.8   1:39 (180, 61)  
Feb. 27  11 32.29   -5 42.7   3.877   4.820   160   17.8   1:09 (180, 61)

* 162P/Siding Spring

Now it is 17.4 mag (Jan. 13, Ken-ichi Kadota). It is observable in good condition in the Northern Hemisphere. It is not observable in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  10 30.19   53 40.7   1.735   2.552   137   17.8   0:35 (180,  1)  
Feb. 27  10 17.40   53 12.4   1.800   2.599   135   17.9  23:49 (180,  2)

* C/2013 C2 ( Tenagra )

Very far object. Outburst occured on Feb. 20, 2015, and it brightened up to 15 mag. But it is faint as 18 mag now. It is observable in excellent condition in the Southern Hemisphere. It locates somewhat low in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  13 33.06  -26 21.7   8.647   9.154   118   17.8   3:37 (180, 81)  
Feb. 27  13 32.37  -26 23.7   8.554   9.156   124   17.8   3:09 (180, 81)

* P/2013 YG46 ( Spacewatch )

It was discovered around the aphelion in 2013 December. It keeps observable at 17 mag in good condition from 2016 to 2017. No observations have been reported since 2014 March. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  13  2.09    1 57.9   2.302   3.094   136   18.0   3:06 (180, 53)  
Feb. 27  12 59.88    2 19.1   2.206   3.063   143   17.8   2:36 (180, 53)

* C/2014 OE4 ( PanSTARRS )

It keeps 17.5 mag from 2016 to 2017. It is observable in good condition in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it locates low in 2016, and it is not observable in 2017. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  17 22.47   15 30.1   6.729   6.563    76   17.9   4:07 (232, 21)  
Feb. 27  17 24.81   16 37.2   6.626   6.548    81   17.8   4:16 (224, 25)

* C/2014 Y1 ( PanSTARRS )

Now it is 17.7 mag (Nov. 30, Hidetaka Sato). It was expected to brighten up to 14 mag from winter to summer. But it is much fainter actually. It will be observable in excellent condition in the Southern Hemisphere. It locates low in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  15 50.47  -24 43.7   2.053   2.275    89   17.9   4:07 (253, 65)  
Feb. 27  16  0.57  -26 11.7   1.992   2.290    94   17.9   4:16 (249, 71)

* C/2012 K8 ( Lemmon )

It keeps 17-18 mag for a long time since 2013. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is observable at 18 mag in good condition also in this winter. It is not observable in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  14  3.76   61 22.7   6.967   7.435   114   17.9   4:07 (180, -6)  
Feb. 27  13 55.47   62 12.4   6.976   7.458   115   17.9   3:32 (180, -7)

* 321P/SOHO

It will graze the surface of the sun on Apr. 10. It will pass only 0.16 a.u. from the earth on Mar. 13, and will be observable in excellent condition. 

Date(TT)  R.A. (2000) Decl.   Delta     r    Elong.  m1   Best Time(A, h)  
Feb. 20  14 28.25   -6 17.8   0.620   1.361   113   20.3   4:07 (192, 61)  
Feb. 27  14 56.50   -4 57.0   0.440   1.236   113   19.1   4:16 (188, 60)

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