Comets
As noted previously, excepting the possibility of newly-discovered comets in 2000, none of the nine visible this year (in an 8 inch telescope) are very interesting.
Except for well-publicised close approaches, comets spend the vast majority of their time well away from earth, where they are invisible in small telescope.
A current (January 2000) exception is Hale-Bopp, just barely visible (magnitude 11.3) in small telescopes in the southeast during early evening:
View with a 4.5 inch reflector on 7 January 2000:
View with an 8 inch reflector on 7 January 2000:
Note that by January 2004, it will be of magnitude 14.7, and will require a 10 inch aperture to show it as a point of light.
In contrast, in late March 1997, it reached a magnitude of -0.9, and was clearly visible to the naked eye.
Here is what it looked like in the northern hemisphere on 27 March 1997, when it was close to the Andromeda Galaxy:
Note that the field of view is about 20 degrees wide -- one hand width held at arm's length, or 3 times the width of a normal field of view in binoculars, or 40 times the width of the full moon.
Comet West
Click on the image for a full screen view
This photograph was taken by amateur astronomer John Loborde on March 9, 1976. This picture shows two distinct tails. The thin blue plasma tail is made up of gases and the broad white tail is made up of microscopic dust particles. (Courtesy John Laborde)
Halley's Comet on 12 March, 1986:
Comet Kohoutek on 11 January 1974
Click on the image for a full screen view (photo courtesy NASA)
Comet Hyakutake on 18-19 March, 1996:
Comet Ikeya-Seki
Click on the image for a full screen view
This image of comet Ikeya-Seki was taken by John Laborde in Poway, California just before dawn. The exposure was 15 minutes with a 55 mm Nikon lens. (Courtesy John Laborde)
Comet Hale-Bopp
Click on the image for a full screen view
This image of comet Hale-Bopp was taken by John Laborde with his home designed and built, 8.8" f/3.7 Wright Schmidt Camera. The picture was taken at the Tierra Del Sol Observatory site in San Diego County with a 25 minute exposure on Kodak PPF400 film. (Courtesy John Laborde)
Starry Night movie of Comet Hale-Bopp's orbit
Historical Background of Comets (video)
This video clip was taken from the NASA movie Comet Halley Returns (CMP 256). It was digitized by Calvin J. Hamilton.
Written by Stephen R. Kessell
Updated 27 January, 2001
