Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) appears to be picking up a little steam, so to speak. Some observers now report that it is slightly brighter than 5th magnitude. Bortle pegs Hale-Bopp more conservatively at 5.4, but he notes that the comet has an amazingly star-like nucleus and a short yet pretty eastward-pointing tail containing three distinct rays. Go judge for yourself -- here are the comet's positions for the coming week at 0 hours Universal Time:
Date R.A. (2000) Decl.
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November 3 17h 41.0m -3d 11'
5 17 42.3 -3 3
7 17 43.6 -2 54
9 17 45.0 -2 45
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