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Comet Hale-Bopp Update

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COMET HALE-BOPP BURPS

Sky & Telescope News Bulletin
February 14, 1997

Contributing Editor David Levy reports that Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) is now magnitude 1.7, about midway between the range of magnitudes being reported by various observers worldwide. At this rate the comet should brighten to magnitude -0.5 or better by the end of March. On February 12th, viewing through a 16-inch telescope, Levy also spotted a secondary condensation -- probably a burst of dust -- located 20" from the primary nucleus in position angle 190 deg. Through binoculars the comet has a dazzling nucleus, a distinct U-shaped dust tail, and a longer ion tail several degrees long. Here are Hale- Bopp's equinox 2000.0 coordinates for this week at 0 hours Universal Time: 

                   R.A. (2000.0) Decl.
                  ---------------------
February 15        20h 20.9m   +23d 18'
         17        20  28.0    +24  37
         19        20  35.6    +25  58
         21        20  43.6    +27  22

FEB. 16 -- SUNDAY

Comet Hale-Bopp glows in the east just before the first light of dawn this week. Go out an hour and 40 minutes before sunrise (find the time in a local newspaper) and look about halfway from Deneb to Altair. The comet is near this halfway point early in the week, and a bit to the lower left of the point later in the week.

Hale-Bopp should be visible to the naked eye under dark-sky conditions. Look for a fuzzy "star" with a short, broad, upward-pointing tail. Any light pollution in your sky may hide much or even all of the comet. But binoculars will reveal it even through light pollution and will give a fine view under any conditions.

The comet will brighten in the dawn for the rest of this winter. It will be at its best in the dawn sky in March, and in the evening sky from late March through mid-April.

Copyright 1996 Sky Publishing Corporation. S&T's Weekly News Bulletin is provided as a service to the astronomical community by the editors of SKY & TELESCOPE magazine. Widespread electronic distribution is encouraged as long as this paragraph is included. But the text of the bulletin and calendar may not be published in any other form without permission from Sky Publishing (contact permissions@skypub.com). S&T's Weekly News Bulletin and "Sky at a Glance" are available via SKY Online on the World Wide Web (http://www.skypub.com/). At present they are not available via electronic mailing list. comethome.gif Comet Hale-Bopp Home Page

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