Ordinarily, we'd have little interest in a comet within 30 degrees of the Sun and nearly lost in the glow of evening twilight. Then again, Comet Hale-Bopp is no ordinary visitor. This supercomet is holding its own against the twilight glare and has just about reached magnitude 4.0. But its proximity to the western horizon after sundown will severely limit your observing time. The farther north you live, the better your viewing geometry. Here are Hale-Bopp's positions for the coming week at 0 hours Universal Time:
Date R. A. Decl.
-------------------------------
December 8 18h 11.6m +0d 18'
10 18 13.8 +0 36
12 18 16.1 +0 54
14 18 18.5 +1 13
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